Sakshi wary of Japan, China rivals
NEW DELHI: She missed out on a Commonwealth Games gold, but wrestler Sakshi Malik sees next month’s Asian Games as a platform to make amends and build up for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Sakshi was one of two Indians to win a medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, claiming bronze. However, the 25-year-old was barely active for well over a year after that. Still, she had high hopes of winning the 58kg division at the April CWG in Gold Coast. She had to be content with bronze, after winning silver in 2014 at Glasgow.
However, Sakshi is upbeat about her chances in the Jakarta Games and beyond.
“My preparation is going very well. Asian Games is an important event. We have been watching videos of opponents and preparing accordingly. I was sure I was going to win gold at Commonwealth Games but due to some shortcomings I couldn’t,” Sakshi said.
“Ups and downs are part of the game and so is luck, which is a big factor in deciding whether it’s our day or not. I will try to do well in the Asian Games and make up for the misses. Asian Games is tougher than Commonwealth Games. The Japanese are difficult to beat and the Chinese can also be tough,” said the Rohtakborn wrestler.
Sakshi is now at a camp in Istanbul, which will be followed by the Yasar Dogu ranking tournament before she returns home on July 31. Sakshi is keen for more exposure.
“We get to face international opponents in these foreign trips. There are wrestlers from various countries, which help us gain
experience. Daily we fight different wrestlers, so there is a lot of change,” said Sakshi, who won at the Commonwealth Championships in Johannesburg in December.
“In a year, if we get 4-5 competitions it’s good. We tell the federation to enter us in more tournaments so that we can perform better when the time comes.”
Sakshi’s long break after Rio raised questions whether she would prolong her career. She will only be 27 when the Tokyo Games arrives. “First aim is Asian Games, then the World Championships qualifying tournaments. I know there is little time left to build up for Tokyo, where I have to give off my best.”
Sakshi was among the top athletes who protested the Haryana government’s controversial notification last month that athletes employed with it must deposit one-third of their commercial and professional earnings to the state sports council. The hue and cry forced the plan to be put on hold.
“A player works hard and to give one-third of our earnings is not correct. Most kids come into sports because of money and awards, which are not taxable. That is why they put in effort, knowing there is money in sports and they can get good jobs.” NEWDELHI: PV Sindhu might have to upstage defending champion and familiar foe Nozomi Okuhara as the two finalists of the previous edition are drawn to meet in the quarter-finals of the World Championships, to be held from July 30 to August 5 in Nanjing, China.
Memories of Sindhu and Okuhara battling in one of the greatest matches of all time during the summit clash in Glasgow last year is still fresh in the minds of badminton aficionados.
Okuhara, who was bothered by a knee injury in the latter half of last season, outplayed Sindhu last week in the finals of Thailand Open and the Indian will have her task cut out as she is expected to meet the world No 8 again in the quarter-finals in Nangjing.
According to the draw announced on Tuesday, Sindhu is likely to meet Korea’s Sung Ji Hyun in the third round. The Indian has received a bye in the opening round, while she will face either Indonesia’s Fitriani Fitriani or Linda Zetchiri in the second round.
Two-time Commonwealth Games champion Saina Nehwal, who won silver in the 2015 edition and bronze at Glasgow, will have to battle past 2013 champion Ratchanok Inthanon of Thailand and Olympic champion Carolina Marin, whom she is expected to meet in the third round and quarters respectively.
The London Olympics bronze medallist will play either Swiss Sabrina Jaquet or Turkish Aliye Demirbag in the second round after getting a bye.
In men’s singles, Kidambi Srikanth, who clinched four titles last season and silver at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games this year, will open against Ireland’s Nhat Nguyen and is likely to meet Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie, 13th seed, in Round 3.
If he can surpass the hurdles, a meeting with three-time Olympic silver medallist Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia is a possibility.
HS Prannoy will begin with a clash against Australia’s Abhinav Manota and two tricky opponents in Hong Kong’s Wong Wing Ki Vincent and Chinese Taipei’s Chou Tien Chen might stand in his way to the quarter-finals, where he is expected to meet the All England champion Shi Yuqi.
B Sai Praneeth will have to contend with Korea’s Son Wan Ho, while Sameer Verma faces France’s Lucas Corvee in the opening round.
In men’s doubles, national champions Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy will open against Bulgarians Daniel Nikolov and Ivan Rusev, while CWG silver medallists Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty face Olympic bronze medallists Marcus Ellis and Chris Langridge of England.
CWG bronze medallists Ashwini Ponnappa and N Sikki Reddy will square off against Chinese Taipei’s Chiang Kai Hsin and Hung Shih Han.
Ashwini and Sikki will also pair up with Satwik and Pranaav Jerry Chopra in the mixed doubles event. Other Indians are Rohan Kapoor and Kuhoo Garg, and Saurabh Sharma and Anoushka Parikh.
Arjun MR and Ramchandran Shlok, and Tarun Kona and Saurabh Sharma are there in men’s doubles. Also in action will be Kuhoo Garg and Ningshi Block Hazarika, Jakkampudi Meghana and S Ram Poorvisha, Sanyogita Ghorpade and Prajakta Sawant in women’s doubles.
OKUHARA OUTPLAYED SINDHU LAST WEEK IN THE FINAL OF THAILAND OPEN AND THE INDIAN WILL HAVE HER TASK CUT OUT.