In absence of double Olympic medallist PV Sindhu, the Indian girls’s staff could have a tricky job on their hand to defend the title on the Badminton Asia Group Championships beginning tomorrow in Qingdao, China whereas the boys’s staff might be banking on a powerful core led by Lakshya Sen to pose a problem for the rostrum.
Sindhu, who began her season with outing on the Malaysia Open Tremendous 1000 event, withdraw from the occasion resulting from medical concern. Badminton Affiliation of India confirmed that as a result of late withdrawal, there gained’t be any alternative within the staff.
India had scripted historical past by clinching their maiden girls’s staff gold within the final version in Malaysia, however Sindhu’s withdrawal resulting from a niggle has dealt a big blow to their medal hopes.
With Sindhu not there, the youthful crop of Tanvi Sharma, Unnati Hooda, and Malvika Bansod together with skilled doubles duo of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand will lead the Indian problem.
The eyeballs might be on Unnati Hooda and teenager Tanvi Sharma. Unnati, 18, is approaching the again of a superb 2025 season the place she achieved a career-high world rating of No. 23 and defeated Sindhu on the China Open. The youngest Indian ever to win a BWF Tremendous 100 title, Unnati ended 2025 with a title on the Odisha Masters.
Tanvi impressed everybody in the beginning of 2026 along with her spectacular reveals on the India Open Tremendous 750 and Indonesia Masters Tremendous 500. Whereas she misplaced to higher-ranked shuttlers Wang Zhi Yi and Tomoka Miyazaki in each tournaments, her efficiency confirmed promise.
Commonwealth Video games bronze medallists Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly, who defended their Syed Modi Worldwide crown in December, will spearhead the doubles problem alongside Priya Konjengbam, Shruti Mishra and Tanisha Crasto.
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India open their girls’s marketing campaign in opposition to Myanmar on Wednesday earlier than going through Thailand in Group Y.
Lakshya leads robust core
World quantity 13 Lakshya Sen will lead the Indian males’s staff that additionally options veteran execs Kidambi Srikanth and HS Prannoy- each former World championship medallists.
Lakshya had 2025 the place he gained the Australian Open and made it to the ultimate of Hong Kong Open. Srikanth additionally reached finals at Malaysia Masters and Syed Modi Worldwide. Whereas Prannoy isn’t in his finest kind however can beat anybody on his day when he’s one hundred pc match.
Upcoming teenager Ayush Shetty might be India’s quantity two after successful the US Open Tremendous 300 final 12 months.
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Led by World No. 13 Lakshya Sen, the squad additionally options former World No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth and seasoned campaigner HS Prannoy — three world championship medallists.
The doubles unit will as soon as once more revolve round two-time world championships bronze medallists Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, who had a subdued begin to the season with a quarterfinal and spherical of 16 end at Malaysia Open and India Open. The previous world No.1 might be hungry to style success.
Sai Pratheek Okay, Pruthvi Krishnamurthy Roy and Hariharan Amsakarunan are the opposite doubles gamers.
Clubbed in group C, the boys will start their marketing campaign in opposition to Singapore on Wednesday earlier than a more durable group tie in opposition to Japan.
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The highest two groups from every group will progress to the quarterfinals within the biennial continental occasion.
Draw for Indian groups at Badminton Asia Championships
India Ladies: Group Y – India, Myanmar, Thailand
India Males: Group C – India, Singapore, Japan
Indian Squads for 2026 Badminton Asia Group Championships
Males: Lakshya Sen, Ayush Shetty, Kidambi Srikanth, Prannoy HS, Tharun Mannepalli, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty, Pruthvi Krishnamurthy Roy, Sai Pratheek Okay, Hariharan Amsakarunan
Ladies: Unnati Hooda: Tanvi Sharma, Rakshitha Sree Santhosh Ramraj, Malvika Bansod, Surya Charisma Tamiri, Treesa Jolly, Gayatri Gopichand, Priya Konjengbam, Shruti Mishra, Tanisha Crasto
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Schedule at 2026 Badminton Asia Group Championships (All IST Timings):
4th February- 8:30 AM – India Ladies Vs Myanmar, 2:30 PM – India Males Vs Singapore Males
fifth February- 8:30 AM – India Ladies Vs Thailand Ladies, 2:30 PM – Indian Males Vs Japan Males
sixth February – Quarter-finals
seventh February – Semi-finals
eighth February – Ultimate
The place to Watch 2026 Badminton Asia Group Championships
The Badminton Asia Group Championships 2026 might be live-streamed on the Sony Sports activities Community. The motion can even be obtainable on the Badminton Asia official YouTube channel.