The prestigious All England Open starts in Birmingham on Tuesday and if you are an Indian badminton fan, you could be forgiven for thinking the stars are aligning. It’s an event steeped in history, but for India, one where success has been elusive for 23 years – even in the golden era of Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu, and a plethora of men’s singles stars.
This week, there is A New Hope. In the spirit of Leia’s message from the 1977 epic – ‘Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You’re my only hope’ – India’s top shuttlers will look to a collection of Jedi masters in their corners. Among the coaching group that will help them guide through tricky draws, are two of India’s only champions of this famous event. Prakash Padukone’s 1980 triumph was one of the pivotal moments in Indian badminton. Pullela Gopichand’s 2001 win was a much-needed vindication of his belief that Indians can succeed at the highest level, a factor that would go on to play a significant role in his coaching career. And both of them will be present at All England together in coaching capacities.
Padukone, Gopichand – along with Vimal Kumar – will all be looking to inspire their wards to succeed at the Super 1000 event, alongside a group of younger generation of Indian coaches too (plus, of course, honorary Indian Mathias Boe.)
FIRST TITLE OF THE YEAR 🏆🔥
Satwik-Chirag win their 2️⃣nd #FrenchOpen and 2️⃣nd #Super750 title 🥳
Well done boys, proud of you!@himantabiswa | @sanjay091968 | @Arunlakhanioffi
📸: @badmintonphoto#FrenchOpen2024#IndiaontheRise#Badminton pic.twitter.com/TR9ZG901SC
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Primarily, hopes will be pinned on Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, who enter the tournament as top seeds and in red-hot form. The duo have made it to the title clash in all the three tournaments on the World Tour they have featured in 2024, winning the French Open in Paris on Sunday. It is no secret that these major tournaments are their key targets, and All England is near the top of that list.
Chirag had already refocused. “Paris has always been special for both of us, it’s been like a second home. I’m happy that at the test venue for the Olympics, we could get the win,” he told BWF on Sunday. “But still, the Olympics is six months away. We have won this final, but next week there’s another tournament.”
They have a much trickier draw this week. First up, Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan, the Indonesians whom they idolise. The ‘Daddies’ however, aren’t the force they once were. They are capable of coming up with their tricks without breaking a sweat but in their respective forms, the Indians should’ve too much firepower.
Special win calls for special dance moves ft. @satwiksairaj 🥳🕺#FrenchOpen2024#IndiaontheRise#Badminton pic.twitter.com/GJl1hBPY8i
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Muhammad Shohibul Fikri / Bagas Maulana, champions in 2022, have troubled the Indians in the last year, winning twice, and will push them in the second round. Another tough match awaits should they reach quarterfinals. Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik are no longer their nemesis but still a top pair to contend with. In the form they are in, however, SatChi will go all in and will be India’s best bet.
PV Sindhu impressed with three marathon matches, pushing the Olympic champion to the distance in her first big test at the French Open. This week, should she overcome Germany’s Yvonne Li in the first round, the biggest test in women’s singles awaits: An Se Young. Sindhu’s record is 0-6 against the Korean superstar, winning only one game in all of those past meetings.
“Physically I was fine. I’m doing well after coming back from injury. There were long matches and I could sustain. There’s a lot to learn, I’m happy I’m back on track. I wanted to see where I was. There’s a lot to learn and move forward,” Sindhu had said in Paris. Se Young has shown signs of physical vulnerability – by her high standards – this season, so it could be a chance for Sindhu to break the duck.
India’s most significant presence is in men’s singles with four contenders. HS Prannoy has gone off the boil a bit with three first-round exits in four events this year. But he has the best draw on paper, the India No 1 will start off against Chinese Taipei’s Su Li Yang. Christo Popov or Lee Cheuk Yiu are beatable opponents in the second round despite their strong start to the year.
Also in Prannoy’s half is Viktor Axelsen, who has a quiet start to the year and will be raring to go. The world No 1 will face Srikanth Kidambi in the opening round, the Indian who has lost to him the last seven times they have met.
Lakshya Sen received a shot in the arm for Paris qualification hopes after his semifinal run at the French Open. He was slated to face Ng Tze Yong in the first round, but the Malaysian – a direct competitor for a top-16 spot that a few are chasing – is not fit. so the Indian faces a reserve to start. A likely second round will be tricky against Anders Antonsen, though.
To round it off, Priyanshu Rajawat faces Indonesia’s Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo, who had a good week in Paris, making semifinals.
Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly enjoy the All England more than any other event, having reached two semifinals in the last two years with a few upsets to their name. They’d need one right off the bat against Apriyani Rahayu and Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti but are placed in a nightmare quarter. Tanisha Crasto and Ashwini Ponnappa will start against Hong Kong’s Yeung Nga Ting and Yeung Pui Lam in the opening round, in a more winnable fixture.
All in all, it promises to be another fascinating week on the European swing for Indian badminton.
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