Sign In
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
New Delhi: In a major blow to India's medal chances at the Badminton Asia Team Championships 2026, PV Sindhu has pulled out of the event beginning next week. Two-time Olympic medallist Sindhu has withdrawn from competition due to a slight niggle which will hamper her participation at the upcoming event.
Sindhu, a former world champion, made a successful return to competition after a foot injury that kept her out from October last year but unfortunately due to a niggle, she will not be able to represent the country at the badminton event.
'Sindhu has withdrawn from the Asia Team Championships due to slight niggle,' a source aware of the development told news agency PTI.
The 30-year-old star badminton player had earlier in the last year also withdrawn from the 2025 Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships after sustaining a hamstring injury during a training camp in Guwahati. Sindhu's performance in the last year had not been up to the mark as she could not put up her best in the courts.
Since her recent comebacks, she reached the semifinals of the Malaysia Open, exited in the first round of the India Open and made the quarterfinals of the Indonesia Masters. After this development, India's medal prospects at the event appear to be slim as there are not enough good competitors representing the country in event as Sindhu was.
The continental event begins on February 3 in Qingdao and the Indian women had clinched gold at the 2024 edition in Malaysia, the country’s first medal in the women’s team competition. India have been placed in Group Y with Thailand and Myanmar.
Meanwhile in absence of Sindhu, the singles responsibility will now rest on world junior championships silver medallist Tanvi Sharma, Unnati Hooda, Rakshita Sree Santhosh Ramraj and Malvika Bansod, while Commonwealth Games bronze medallists Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly will spearhead the doubles challenge. Priya Konjengbam, Shruti Mishra and Tanisha Crasto complete the squad.
(With PTI inputs)
