Star shuttlers HS Prannoy and PV Sindhu received first-round byes as India were handed a mixed draw in the individual events of badminton competition at the Asian Games on Sunday. World No. 7 Prannoy, who missed the team championships final due to a back injury will hope to recover in time as he is pitted against Batdavaa Munkhbat of Mongolia in the second round, while Kidambi Srikanth, a former world No. 1, will face Le Duc Phat of Vietnam in the opening round. World championships bronze medallist Prannoy, seeded fifth, might face Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia or world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand in the quarterfinal.
(Asian Games 2023 Medals Tally | Asian Games 2023 Full Schedule)
In women’s singles, Sindhu, seventh seed, will open her campaign against Wen Chi Hsu of Chinese Taipei in the second round.
The former world champion, who is enduring a tough season, is likely to meet Indonesia’s Putri Kusuma Wardani and China’s He Bing Jao in the next rounds if she can cross the hurdles.
The other Indian in women’s singles, the left-handed Ashmita Chahila also got a bye in the first round and will take on fifth-seeded Indonesia’s Gregoria Mariska Tunjung in the second round.
Star men’s doubles pair of Chirag Shetty and Satwik Rankireddy will open against Lui Chun Wai and Chow Hin Long of Hong Kong and is expected to meet Indonesian pair of Leo Rolly Carnando and Daniel Marthin in the second round.
The world No. 3 pair is likely to face the formidable combination of Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik of Malaysia later in the tournament.
Dhruv Kapila and MR Arjun will face Japanese pair of Takuro Hoki and Yogi Kobayashi, while women’s doubles pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand will square off against Aminath Razzaq and Fathimath Razzaq of Maldives in the first round.
In mixed doubles, Rohan Kapoor and N Sikki Reddy will face world No. 12 Lai Shevon Jemie and Goh Soon Huat of Malaysia, while Tanisha and Sai Pratheek will meet Leong Lok Chong and Weng Chi NG of Macau in the first round.
Tanisha Crasto and Ashwini Ponappa will open against Maisa Ismail and Aisath Rasheed of Maldives in the first round but the duo is likely to face world No. 5 Zhang Su Xian and Zheng Yuw in the second round.
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