Tricky draw but Indians will do better
Former Indian coach Vimal Kumar calls clash of Sai, Prannoy unfortunate
It is a tricky draw and a tough call for Indians, but at the end of the day, it all depends on how each our stars come up on the given day, Vimal Kumar fancies Indian women make the most. However it is a tough draw is what the former national badminton coach Vimal Kumar feels about the 2019 All England Badminton Championship is to kick off in Birmingham from March 6.
On one hand it is a fighting draw, but there is an unfortunate apathy added, as B Sai and H S Prannoy pitched against each.. Incidentally this is for the first time two Indian players are facing off in the opener, in the championship where the wait for the title is over a decade. Last being Gopichand when he won the championship in the year 2001.
It has been the women who have done much better in the global arena, than their men counter parts in this shuttle game and much would depend on Olympic and World Championship silver medallist PV Sindhu, and Saina Nehwal. Sindhu who was a semifinalist in the last edition.
Sindhu begins her outing in Birmingham against South Korea's Sung Ji Hyun, while Nehwal, the champion at the Indonesia Masters champion takes on Scotland's Kristy Gilmour.
“Saina last year played Tai in the first round and this year it is likely to be the quarterfinals,” said Vimal Kumar and went on to add, “Saina has started of the year well and hopefully she should come good,”
Talking about Sindhu he said she has to be cautious as Gilmour had defeated her at the Hong Kong Open last year. “She should get past her take on the third seed Chen Yufei in the quarter-final.
But, there is some reason to cheer about for women as especially Sindhu and Nehwal, and they would fancy their chances after three-time world champion Carolina Marin of Spain has been ruled out due to the knee injury suffered during the Indonesia Masters final.
Kidambi Srikanth, who missed the Senior Nationals due to a minor issue with his ankle, will take on Frenchman Brice Leverdez in the opening round. He is likely to meet world no. 1 Kento Momota in the quarter-finals. The seventh seeded Indian had lost to Momota five times last season.
“Srikant is Likely to run into Momota. It’s not that he cannot beat him, but his record against Momota has been poor in many of the recent games. So lets see how he is faring in the first two rounds,” said Vimal about the men’s best bet for Indians.