Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: HS Prannoy has withdrawn from the Orleans Masters Super 300 badminton tournament after suffering a shoulder injury during last week’s Swiss Open in Basel. The experienced Indian shuttler was originally scheduled to face top seed Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei in the opening round.Prannoy first felt discomfort while travelling to the Swiss Open and decided to withdraw from his match against Koki Watanabe to avoid worsening the injury. After returning, scans revealed a minor tear in his shoulder.
“The shoulder pain developed after travelling to the Swiss Open. We didn’t know the reason then, so I decided to withdraw and fly back,” Prannoy told PTI.“After a scan it showed a slight tear. It is a minor thing and hopefully I should be okay soon,” he added. The Indian star is now aiming to recover in time for the upcoming Asian Championships scheduled in Ningbo, China.
Young Indian players lead the challenge
With Prannoy out, younger players will lead India’s campaign at the tournament. Rising star Ayush Shetty, seeded eighth and currently ranked world No. 25, will be one of the main contenders after winning the US Open Super 300 last year. He begins his campaign against Lee Chia Hao.Former world No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth will also be in action against Magnus Johannesen of Denmark. Other Indian players in the men’s singles include Tharun Mannepalli, who recently reached the quarterfinals at the Swiss Open, and Kiran George, who stunned former world champion Loh Kean Yew in Basel.
Focus on women’s and doubles events
In women’s singles, young talent Tanvi Sharma, silver medallist at the BWF World Junior Championships, will face Supanida Katethong. Malvika Bansod also returns after recovering from a long knee injury and will take on Sung Shuo Yun.India will also compete in doubles events. Pairs such as Hariharan Amsakarunan and M R Arjun in men’s doubles, and Dhruv Kapila with Tanisha Crasto in mixed doubles, will look to make strong runs and keep India’s hopes alive in the tournament.
