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What's the story?
Former world number one men's badminton player Kidambi Srikanth has expressed his readiness to represent the nation at Tokyo Olympics 2020 despite falling to the 26th rank in the BWF Race to Tokyo rankings owing to injuries. The 26-year-old accepted that the last few months have been tough for him however, he is positive about the future.
The background
Courtesy his consistent performances on the badminton court, Srikanth had attained the number one position in world rankings during 2018. He pulled off a solid performance in the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games where he clinched the gold medal in the mixed team event besides winning the silver medal in the men's singles competition. But, his form and fitness have taken a dip in the last six months.
The Andhra Pradesh-born superstar is yet to win a match in the year 2020 which reflects his poor form. Also, BWF allows only two players from each country ranked in the top-16 to take part in the Olympics hence, it will be difficult for Srikanth to punch his ticket to Tokyo.
The heart of the matter
Speaking to PTI on Thursday (30th January), Kidambi Srikanth mentioned that he is looking forward to regaining full fitness and performing well. The right-handed shuttler said:
“I really want to participate in the Olympics and do well. I know I have gone through a tough phase in the last six months, but I am looking forward to regaining my full fitness and doing well.”
He even expressed his opinion over India's chances of winning a medal in the badminton event at Tokyo Olympics 2020. Srikanth continued:
“I think the Indian badminton contingent definitely has a very good chance of doing extremely well at the Olympics if we are consistent in the tournament.”
He credited Pullela Gopichand for the rise of Indian badminton players in the world before signing off with his thoughts about the approaching Khelo India University Games.
“I think it’s very important for youngsters to have financial support. It lifts the burden off the parents and also helps athletes attain their targets. The Khelo India scheme will take care of all expenses once the athlete is included in the program. So, we can definitely see a lot of kids becoming Olympic medallists in the future.” Srikanth said.
“The Khelo India University Games is going to start a new culture where the colleges and universities will adapt into their study system. Ultimately, this will help more people take up sports,” he added.
What's next?
With the BWF Race to Tokyo ending on 28th April 2020, it will be intriguing to see if Kidambi Srikanth can regain his lost touch and secure his berth in the Olympics.
