After a successful outing at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Indian shuttlers are readying themselves for the biggest badminton tournament i.e. BWF World Championships. With only a few days left for the mega event to kick off, the excitement and anticipation are at their peak. As the Indian badminton contingent swept away as many as five medals across events at the 2022 CWG, the fans are expecting a great show at the World Championships as well.
However, a huge blow came India’s way when ace shuttler PV Sindhu was ruled out of the tournament with an ankle injury that she sustained during her CWG stint. Being the only gold medalist for India in the history of the tournament so far, Sindhu had high hopes for herself. Also, after a forgettable outing in the last edition, the double Olympic medallist was looking to make amends.
Nonetheless, as Sindhu stays ruled out, chances of a medal in the Women’s Singles category look bleak. There are Saina Nehwal and Malvika Bansod but a medal for them looks like an uphill task. So, here are the top medal contenders for India at the 2022 BWF World Championships.
1. Lakshya Sen
The first and foremost name that comes to mind when talking about medal prospects for India is Lakshya Sen. The 20-year-old shuttler has risen to ranks recently and has shown what he is capable of. Having won the gold medal in Men’s Singles event at the 2022 CWG, Lakshya Sen is a hot favorite to win a medal at the World Championships. However, he will have a really tough competitor in Viktor Axelsen who is also the defending champion.
2. Kidambi Srikanth
The former World No.1 and the bronze medallist at the 2022 CWG, Kidambi Srikanth also looks certain to bring a medal for the country at World Championships. Also, having won the silver medal at the 2021 World Championships, Srikanth is expected to win a medal at the 2022 edition as well. Although he competes in the same event as Lakshya, the 29-year-old will have a great chance to upgrade his silver medal.
3. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty
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(Picture Credit: Twitter)[/caption]
The Men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have achieved greater heights together and a gold medal at the 2022 CWG was just an addition to their list of achievements. The Satwik-Chirag duo did not lose a single set at the Commonwealth Games and thus are expected to bring a medal home at the World Championships as well. They have received a bye in their first round which makes up for a good start.