Kidambi Srikanth is all set to be the only Indian representative in men’s singles badminton at this year’s Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Currently ranked 12 in the world, the 23-year-old is now gearing up for two upcoming tournaments which hold the key to fetching him a better draw at the summer Games.
His performance in the Indonesian Open at Jakarta (May 30th – June 4th) and the subsequent Australian Open at Sydney (7th – 12th June) will determine his final standing ahead of Rio.
Should he succeed in achieving sufficient points to break into the top eight, he will not have to face the shuttlers seeded 1 to 4 until the quarter final stages of the Olympics, whereas either among the 9th to 16th positions would lead to that in the pre-quarters itself.
Srikanth believes that all players ranked within the top 20 are poised evenly in terms of talent and capability and on his day, any of them could outshine the other to dash forward for glory. An event as big as the Olympics requires one to be mentally and strategically sound while at the same time performing at his highest level of skill and fitness, he says.
For now, Kidambi is fully focused on his preparatory drills and vows to leave no stone unturned in his bid to earn a second Olympic medal for India in badminton.
With Parupalli Kashyap out of contention due to injury, the entire country has its hopes rested on the shoulders of this promising young athlete who trains at Hyderabad’s Gopichand Badminton Academy and is supported by GoSports Foundation, Bangalore.
