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The Denmark Open Super 750 taking place in Odense witnessed an unfortunate turn of events for the Indian contingent, as several prominent players withdrew from the competition. Following a great performance at the Asian Games, there were high hopes and expectations for the Indian shuttlers going into the event, but their withdrawal has left the nation's badminton enthusiasts with reasons to worry.
HS Prannoy was the first to withdraw from the tournament due to a back injury he suffered during the Asian Games. Following Prannoy’s withdrawal, the men's doubles pair of MR Arjun and Dhruv Kapila also decided to skip the tournament because of former's injury. Several other players followed suit, but the reasons for most of them missing out are still unknown.
Priyanshu Rajawat, ranked 30th in the world, pulled out of the competition. Rajawat, who was slated to face Lee Zii Jia in the first round, announced his withdrawal on Tuesday.
It was not just the singles players who decided to skip the tournament taking place in Denmark. In the doubles category, the women's doubles duo of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand have also withdrawn from the competition.
The current World No. 1 pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, who clinched the gold medal at the Asian Games, also gave a walkover to their Malaysian opponents.
Apart from the Indians, there were several other top players who also withdrew from the tournament.
Good news for Indian badminton fans amongst several withdrawals
Amid the withdrawals, there is a glimmer of hope for Indian badminton fans. Aakarshi Kashyap, a rising star in the Indian badminton scene, has been granted entry into the main draw. Her inclusion comes as a result of World No. 2 Akane Yamaguchi's withdrawal. This presents a fantastic opportunity for Kashyap to make a name for herself on the international stage and demonstrate her potential.
While several Indian players will be out of action, Indian badminton fans will still get to witness Lakshya Sen, P V Sindhu, Kidambi Srikanth, and Kashyap battle it out on the court.
Sen faces a stern test against Kantaphon Wangcharoen of Thailand in the Round of 32. While former World no. 1 Kidambi Srikanth faces Weng Hong Yang of China in the first round,
In the women's singles category, two-time Olympic bronze medalist Sindhu will take on Scotland's Kirsty Gilmour. Meanwhile, Aakarshi Kashyap faces Yvonne Li of Germany in the first-round matches.
