Indian badminton stars PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen are set to make their comeback to competitive action after a two-month hiatus following their disappointing Olympic campaigns. The duo will lead a strong Indian contingent at the Arctic Open Super 500 in Finland, which gets underway on Tuesday.
Sindhu, who suffered a heartbreaking Round of 16 exit at the Paris Games, has revamped her coaching setup, appointing Anup Sridhar as her interim coach and bringing in South Korean legend Lee Syun Il as a consultant coach. The 29-year-old will be looking to bounce back from her Olympic disappointment and make a strong push in the final stretch of the season.
Lakshya, who narrowly missed out on a bronze medal in Paris, has been working on his physical fitness during his time off. He underwent a series of tests at the Red Bull Athlete Performance Centre in Austria to better understand his body and fitness levels.
The Indian contingent will be without HS Prannoy, who has opted out of the tournament due to health issues, and the men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty, whose status remains unclear.
Sindhu, seeded sixth, will face familiar rival Michelle Li in her opening match, while Lakshya will take on Denmark’s Rasmus Gemke. Other Indian players in the fray include Kidambi Srikanth, Malvika Bansod, Aakarshi Kashyap, and Unnati Hooda.
The Arctic Open provides an opportunity for the Indian players to regain their momentum and make a strong finish to the season. With several top players missing from the draw, the Indians will be looking to capitalize on the opportunity and make a mark on the tournament.
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