Delhi Smashers camp from Aug 11

Delhi Smashers will begin their preparations for the $1 million Indian Badminton League (IBL) with a three day camp starting from Aug 11 at the Siri Fort Sports Complex.

Delhi Smashers begin their campaign here against the Pune Pistons Aug 14. The team, led by former junior national champion B. Sai Praneeth and 2010 Youth Olympics silver medallist H.S. Prannoy, will reach Delhi Friday while foreign players are expected to come here when their World Championship campaign ends.

"We are keen to finish on the podium in IBL's inaugural edition and this camp should go a long way in helping us work out the right combination and strategies," team's chief executive Kartikeya Rao said.

Speaking about the camp, Malaysian coach Rashid Sidek said, "Badminton may pre-dominantly be an individual sport but while playing in such events it is important that the team bonds together to get the requisite results. Most of these players are international stars and so the main focus of the camp will be on strategy and bonding."