World Badminton Championships 2017: Top 5 men's singles contenders

The BWF World Championships 2017 are all set to start this Monday and will feature the best players from across the world go head-to-head against each other to be crowned world champion. The 23rd edition of the marquee competition will be held in Glasgow, Scotland and is sure to provide the highest quality of badminton, given the playing field and the importance of the tournament.

India have sent a strong contingent to the event, filling up all four slots in the men's and women's categories, along with three pairs each in the men's, women's and mixed doubles, thus giving the nation a strong representation.

One of the biggest medal hopes will be in the form of Kidambi Srikanth, who has been in spectacular form this year and will look to win India's first medal at the event in the men's singles category since Prakash Padukone's in the 1983 edition in Copenhagen.

In this article, we take a look at the five biggest favourites for the title in the men's singles event!

#5 Lin Dan

Super Dan will be eyeing his sixth WC title

Considered to be the greatest of all time, Lin Dan's legacy and dominance is unparalleled. In what is likely to be his last World Championships, an event he has conquered a record five times, he will remain a contender for the title this year as well.

He is the only player in history to have won all major titles in the sport, from individual to team events, which includes two Olympic golds in Beijing and London. 'Super Dan', as he is fondly called, is seeded seventh in this year's competition and even though he may be past his best, it is impossible to write him off.

He has not had the best of years so far, which includes just the two trophies in Switzerland and Malaysia, along with a shock defeat to fellow countryman Shi Yuqi in the All England semis. However, he will be keen to make amends in Glasgow and starts off as one of the favourites.

#4 Lee Chong Wei

The Malaysian great is still looking for his first World C'ship title

His rivalry with Lin Dan is one of the most iconic in the history of sport and Lee Chong Wei features after the Chinese shuttler in our list of the top five title contenders. The Malaysian has a glittering trophy cabinet, with a total of 66 titles to his name, but when it comes to the World Championships, he is yet to win gold.

At 34 years old, he will be aware that there might not be a better opportunity to improve upon to his three straight silver medals from London, Guangzhou and Jakarta. Earlier this year, he won the All England Championships for the fourth time in his career but in his home tournament in Malaysia, he was defeated by his great rival Lin Dan in the final.

He is seeded second in the draw and will face off in the first round against France's Brice Leverdez, who is ranked 31 in the world.

#3 Son Wan Ho

The Korean can become the first from his nation to win the men's singles crown

The reigning World number one and top seed at this year's World Championships, the shuttler from South Korea will finally look to end his disappointing run on the big stage.

He has been defeated by Srikanth Kidambi in his last two tournaments but in May earleir this year, he led his nation to victory at the Sudirman Cup. He has never made it past the final eight at the World Championships but he will be looking to change that record very soon.

He has the game to go all the way and along with his own first World Championship crown, he will be contesting to become the first player from his nation to win the men's singles title at the event.

He will take on Finnish shuttler Kalle Koljonen in his opener and is in line to go head-to-head against Srikanth in the quarters, which could set up a potential showdown against Lin Dan in the final four.

#2 Chen Long

Long is the reigning World and Olympic champion

Another giant of the sport, Chen Long's trophy cabinet is a really enviable one. 'Junior Lin Dan' is the reigning Olympic champion and the double defending World Champion, and thus, he will be hungry for a hat-trick of titles this year in Glasgow.

He was also crowned the Asian Champion earlier this year, where he defeated Lin Dan in the finals. Along with this, he recently reached the final of the Australia Open Super Series, where he was defeated by Srikanth Kidambi in straight games.

However, it is impossible to write off the fifth seed, given his extraordinary pedigree at high-profile events. He takes on Georges Julien Paul from Mauritius in the first round and is likely face off against Indian shuttler Ajay Jayaram in the third round.

#1 Kidambi Srikanth

Srikanth has reached three consecutive Superseries finals this year

The Indian has had a truly mesmerising 2017 so far that has seen him break records left, right and centre, along with picking up two winner's medals at consecutive Superseries events.

He contested the final of the Singapore SS against compatriot Sai Praneeth earlier this year, but came up short. From there though, he entered the next two finals in Indonesia and Australia, where he defeated Kazumasa Sakai and Chen Long in the final respectively. Additionally, both tournament wins featured victories over Korea's Son Wan Ho as well.

Seeded eighth, Srikanth is up against Russian Sergey Sirant in his first round match, who recently won the Russian Open GP. Each round will pose a serious threat for the Indian shuttler but if he can hit top gear and build on his impressive form, he can well be on his way to a first-ever World Championship crown.