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Badminton has been one of India's most popular spectator sports at the Summer Olympics. From Saina Nehwal's bronze in London to P V Sindhu's silver in Rio, India's Olympic success rate in the sport has grown steadily over the years.
Alongside other popular sports like shooting and wrestling, Indian shuttlers have been extremely successful on the global stage consistently in the present century.
Considering the talent and potential India possesses, badminton remains one of the best bets for a podium finish at the Tokyo Olympics for the Indian contingent.
Also Read: Tokyo Olympics: An extensive guide into the schedule for badminton events
India will be represented by Sindhu in the women's singles, Sai Praneeth in the men's singles, and the duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty in the men's doubles at the Tokyo Olympics.
Meanwhile, the cancelation of the Singapore Open came as a rude shock to the gallant duo of Kidambi Srikanth and Saina Nehwal. Both athletes had harbored hopes of qualifying for their second and fourth Olympics respectively.
However, the cancelation of the Singapore Open means that they have failed to make the cut to join the Indian contingent at the Tokyo Olympics later this year. .
While Saina is seated in the 22nd spot, Srikanth occupied the 20th position in the Race to Tokyo rankings. In order for them to qualify behind Praneeth and Sindhu, both Srikanth and Saina had to amass enough Badminton World Federation (BWF) circuit points to feature in the top-16.
Also Read: We can expect medals from Sindhu, Chirag/Satwik in Tokyo Olympics: Olympian Vimal Kumar
Who are the strongest medal contenders in badminton at Tokyo Olympics?
Based on current form and past achievements, Sindhu and the men's doubles pair have the experience and pedigree to be counted as favorites at the Tokyo Olympics.
"The top players are going through a very lean phase. The men’s singles players are struggling. Among women, except maybe Sindhu to some extent, others are struggling. The men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty are putting up a good fight. We can expect medals at the Tokyo Olympics from Sindhu and the pair of Chirag and Satwik," said U. Vimal Kumar, former chief of the national badminton team, in an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda.
Women's singles - P V Sindhu
The lone Indian female singles player to qualify for the Olympics, P V Sindhu, will be hoping to go all the way in Tokyo.
She struggled for most of 2019 despite being crowned world champion, best reflected by her 30-18 win-loss record. The 25-year-old has not been at her best over the past two years, but her victory at the World Championships is proof that she can make her presence felt at the Tokyo Olympics as well.
It is noteworthy to mention that the Hyderabadi isn't one to be concerned about a string of lackluster performances. Back in 2015, she held a record of 40-19, and yet managed to return home with a medal. In fact, her record in 2016, months prior to the Rio Olympics, was a dismal 23-13.
Also Read: P V Sindhu pushing herself to win a medal at the Tokyo Olympics
She has gradually regained her previous form this year by reaching the final of the Swiss Open and prevailing over former World No. 1 Akane Yamaguchi to reach the All England semifinals.
Currently placed 7th in the Race to Tokyo rankings, Sindhu remains unruffled despite no major title wins this year and admits being an improved player under Park Tae Sang.
"Definitely there are going to be expectations. Whatever it is, I have to give my best. Rather than thinking for others, I will have to play well for myself. If I do well, I do well for India and everyone will be happy...Park understands what’s going on in your mind."
Sindhu also praised the freedom of thinking Tae Sang has given her during matches.
"When I am under pressure or in difficult positions, he lets me think myself. The eye-to-eye coordination with him works perfectly. He knows when to intervene and his reading of my opponents is fantastic,” Sindhu told Outlook India.
Also Read: "Coach creating match-like situations for me" - PV Sindhu sets sights on Tokyo Olympics glory
Men's doubles pair - Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty
In recent years, the pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have pioneered India's rise in the men's doubles. Their phenomenal rise in the BWF rankings has made us look beyond the singles events in major tournaments recently.
Currently ranked ninth in the world, the duo are by far the only Indian pair to seal a quota place at the Tokyo Olympics.
Back after a prolonged break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they have experienced mixed fortunes in the BWF World Tour this year. They managed to fight their way through to the Thailand Open Super 500 and Swiss Open Super 300 semifinals, but couldn't stroll past the second round of the All England Open.
Deprived of competitions that could have bolstered their chances for the Tokyo Olympics, the formidable duo are working on their flaws and fine-tuning the rough edges of their game with limited resources.
The pair are implementing a European style of play under London Olympics silver medal-winning coach Mathias Boe.
"The main focus right now is to finish in the top-eight. Currently we are No. 9 in the Race to Tokyo but one of the Indonesian pairs will come out of the race as they are the third pair from that country. So we are effectively eighth at the moment.
They are focusing currently on gaining a favorable draw at the Tokyo Olympics.
We need to maintain that. No. 7, No. 8 and No. 9 are all very close to each other in terms of points, so whoever plays well in the next three tournaments, will finish in the top-eight. That is the main goal right now - to maintain the top-eight spot so that we can get a favorable draw at the Tokyo Olympics," said the pair, in an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda.
