Pullela Gopichand pins medal hopes on Sat-Chi and Sindhu ahead of Paris Olympics

The Paris Olympics are fast approaching, and the head coach of the Indian team, Pullela Gopichand, has his medal hopefuls from the country picked out.

Shuttlers from India have returned with medals from the past three Games, and Gopichand feels the duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, and women's singles star PV Sindhu are the ones to watch out for this time around.

Rankireddy and Shetty, currently topping the ranking charts in the men's doubles, have certainly been on a dream run. Last year saw them become the first Indian men's doubles pair to win a Super 1000 and achieve the World No.1 rank, as well as becoming the first Indian shuttlers to clinch an Asian Games gold.

Speaking on the duo's medal prospects at the Olympics, Pullela Gopichand said at the Revsportz Sports Conclave:

"It would be fair to say that, as the world number ones today, they are definitely a prospect to win at the highest level.”

"They are a solid pair; whenever they step on the court, they are one of the favorites. Months away, today, if I have to pick across sports, across countries, any one pair which is the pair to beat at the Olympics, it will have to be Satwik and Chirag,” he added.

Meanwhile, PV Sindhu is making her long-awaited comeback to the court, after taking a handful of months away due to her injury. The two-time Olympic medalist had a forgettable 2023 but will be looking to change the script this time around. As the Indian guns for a third consecutive podium finish at the Games, Pullela Gopichand is in her corner.

"I'm definitely with Sindhu. Here is someone who has performed well in the past. I do believe that she is on the right track,” he said.

The coach firmly believes that the world champion has the potential to medal in Paris, a target that will be aided by Sindhu’s spectacular physicality.

“She has proven herself in the past, and I believe she has the potential to deliver again in Paris. If you look at her game, it's very physical. In slow conditions where physicality becomes crucial, she has consistently delivered. Big stadiums typically have a physical element, and that's when Sindhu tends to perform even better,” Gopichand added.

Pullela Gopichand on the future of Indian badminton

While many have been concerned about the future of Indian badminton when the likes of Srikanth Kidambi called time on their careers, Pullela Gopichand sees a ray of hope in youngsters Anmol Kharb and Priyanshu Rajawat.

Kharb was recently in action at the Badminton Asia Team Championships, where she played the deciding games in multiple ties, including the finals. The 17-year-old delivered each time, helping India lay claim to their maiden BATC title victory.

On the other hand, Rajawat has been in the making for some time now. The shuttler clinched multiple BWF International Challenge titles between 2019 and 2021 and has stamped his name into the Indian badminton scene with a victory at the 2023 Orleans Masters Super 300. Beating the likes of compatriot HS Prannoy, he is one of the youngsters to watch out for, according to Pullela Gopichand.

Speaking at the Revsportz Sports Conclave, the coach highlighted Kharb and Rajawat as the future of Indian badminton, saying:

"Anmol is one of the brightest (next generation hopes). The way she played at the Asian Championships, defeating players from China, Thailand, and Japan at crucial junctures, bodes well for Indian badminton. In men's singles, there is the likes of Priyanshu Rajawat.”