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Indian badminton fans will have a lot to look forward to as the 2018 Badminton Asia Team Championships kick off from the 6th of February 2018 at the Sultan Abdul Halim Stadium in Alor Setar, Kedah and will culminate five days later, on the 11th of February.
The country will be represented by the men's and women's contingents which will travel to Malaysia to take part in the competition. While the Men's team will be partnered by Indonesia, Philippines, and Maldives in Group D, the women's team will battle it out in Group W alongside teams from Japan and Hong Kong.
The competition will witness a total of 15 teams battling it out in the men's category while 13 teams will go head to head in the women's category. Here is the preview and team structure ahead of the start of the tournament.
Here is all the information you need to know:
Tournament name: E-Plus Badminton Asia Team Championship 2018.
Venue: Abdul Halim Stadium in Alor Setar, Kedah, Malaysia.
Round: Group stages
Date: 6th, 7th and 8th February 2018.
Match Timings:
Women's singles:
6th February, 06:30 am IST: India vs Hong Kong
8th February, 06:30 am IST: India vs Japan
Men's SIngles:
6th February, 16:30 am IST: India vs Phillipines
7th February, 16:30 am IST: India vs Maldives
8th February, 16:30 am IST: India vs Indonesia
How does the team stack up?
The Men's team, which will boast of some high-profile names such as World No. 5 Kidambi Srikanth, Sai Praneeth and Sameer Verma will also play host to some young talent in the form of youngsters Arjun MR and Chirag Shetty, while teenager Satwiksairaj Rankireddy will be playing his first high-profile tournament.
P.V Sindhu, Saina Nehwal and Ashwini Ponappa will be looked upon to bring out their A-game and lead the way while the likes of Krishna Priya Kudaravalli and Gadde Ruthvika Shivani are also more than capable of providing some stiff competition.
The only obstacle in India's way could prove to be H.S Prannoy's eleventh-hour withdrawal from the tournament, owing to an injury, but a star-studded line-up has the potential to mask his absence.
Live updates:
For all the live scores and updates from the tournament, stay tuned to Sportskeeda!
