Thailand Open: Team India shuttlers leave for first tournament of 2021

After months of no proper sporting action in badminton, the year 2021 will start with Thailand Open. With tournament preparations on and keeping COVID-19 guidelines in mind, Team India have left for Bangkok en route Dubai from Hyderabad.

While the Yonex Thailand Open, set to be held from January 12 to 17, the Toyota Thailand Open is to be held from January 19 to 24. The two tournaments will kickstart the Asian leg of the BWF World Tour.

The stars posted about the same on their Instagram stories as they are excited to play after returning to the badminton court after a long COVID-19 hiatus. Barring the Denmark Open and SaarLorLux Open, the badminton calendar had been on hold since the All England Open in March 2020.

As for the clashes, Indian ace Saina Nehwal faces the toughest draws on her return as the London 2012 bronze medallist will go up against world No. 4 Nozomi Okuhara of Japan in the first round. Saina has been drawn against home favourite Ratchanok Intanon who is currently world No. 5 in round 1 of the Toyota Thailand Open.

Current world champion PV Sindhu, meanwhile, has had favourable draws as the Rio 2016 silver medallist will face Denmark shuttler Mia Blichfeldt in the women's singles first round of the Yonex Thailand Open, Olympic Channel stated.

She will next face local player Busanan Ongbamrungphan in her first match. The 25-year-old Indian shuttler is seeded sixth in the women's singles event at both tournaments.

In men's singles, a total of seven Indians are participating. Former world No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth will battle it out with fellow Indian shuttler Sourabh Verma in the opening round. 

HS Prannoy will go up against eight seed Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia, Parupalli Kashyap will face Japan's Kenta Nishimoto while Sameer Verma takes on Indonesia's Shesar Hiren Rhustavito.

Youngster Lakshya Sen's first-round will be against Denmark's Rasmus Gemke. B Sai Praneeth, meanwhile, will feature against Thai player Kantaphon Wangcharoen. If Praneeth reaches the second round, he could come up against Danish ace Viktor Axelsen.

In the Toyota Thailand Open, Srikanth will face Thailand's Sitthikom Thammasin, Kashyap will play against Gemke and Sai Praneeth will go up against Malaysia's Liew Daren.

Lakshya Sen, meanwhile, will be in for a tough challenge against second seed Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei while Prannoy will battle sixth seed Jonatan Christie of Indonesia.

Sourabh Verma and Sameer Verma have also been drawn against seeded players as the former will play fifth-seeded Anthony Sinisuka Ginting of Indonesia while Sameer will lock horns with Zii Jia – the eight seed.