Badminton

Saina Nehwal: Our players need more physical development to progress

Olympic medallist shuttler Saina Nehwal has suggested the Indian players need to improve their physical fitness to cope with the demands of international badminton and attain the consistency required to win titles regularly on the world tour. In a free-flowing interaction with PTI, the 2012 London Games bronze medallist spoke about how injuries have become "normal" for the current generation, and how the new crop of women's singles players lack "aggression" and have become "soft" in the age of social media. "We need to be more consistent to be like how it was before. We need more consistent results from Satwik-Chirag or Lakshya or Sindhu or the upcoming ones. We need the results for sure," Saina, who is in the city for the Legends' Vision Legacy Tour India, said on Monday. "Maybe they should look for good trainers and physios. The coaching part is not that difficult if your body is 100%. So maybe just focus on more trainers and physios and getting your body stronger to win ...

Indians eye momentum shift at Japan Open with Lakshya, Prannoy in focus

Indian shuttlers HS Prannoy and Lakshya Sen will look to rediscover their touch, while the emerging crop will aim to turn promise into performance at the USD 475,000 Kumamoto Masters Japan Super 500 tournament beginning here on Tuesday. Lakshya, who endured a lean patch before rediscovering his touch with a runner-up finish at the Hong Kong Open followed by quarterfinal appearances at the Denmark and Hylo Open, will be keen to build on that momentum. Seeded seventh, the 24-year-old from Almora, who finished fourth at the Paris Olympics, faces a tricky opening-round opponent in Japan's world No. 25 Koki Watanabe. Prannoy, a 2023 World Championships bronze-medallist, has struggled since his pre-Olympic bout of chikungunya hampered his preparation for Paris, where he played through pain but exited early. The 33-year-old from Kerala, one of India's most consistent performers in recent years with a 2023 Malaysia Masters title and a runner-up finish at the Australian Open, will look to .

Former No.1 Tai Tzu-ying bids farewell, Sindhu shares touching note

Tokyo Olympics silver medallist and women's badminton great Tai Tzu-ying of Chinese Taipei has announced her retirement from the sport, bringing the curtains down on a glittering career during which she won 17 BWF World Tour titles and finished runner-up in 12 tournaments. The 31-year-old shuttler, known for her artistry and wrist wizardry, cited recurring injuries as the reason behind her decision. Her last BWF title came at the India Open in 2024. "A beautiful chapter has come to an end. Thank you, badminton, for everything you have given me," Tai Tzu wrote on her Instagram account on Friday. "Eventually, my injuries forced me to leave the court. I couldn't end my career the way I had hoped, and it took me a while to come to terms with that. "The TTY era has come to an end. But I hope the spirit of TTY stays with you always." Born in the southern Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung,the former world no. 1 has been battling injuries since last year and has been unable to return to the ...

Sindhu falls to unseeded opponent; Prannoy, Sen advance at HK Open

India's two-time Olympic medallist shuttler PV Sindhu bowed out, while HS Prannoy and Lakshya Sen earned hard-fought wins to advance in the Hong Kong Open Super 500 tournament here on Wednesday. Sindhu, who had reached the BWF World Championships quarterfinals last month, lost the women's singles round-of-32 contest 21-15, 16-21, 19-21 to unseeded Danish shuttler Line Christophersen. However, Prannoy, ranked 34th in the world, humbled 14th ranked Lu Guang Zu of China 21-17, 21-14 in 44 minutes, while Sen got his campaign going with a gruelling 22-20, 16-21, 21-15 win to secure a place in the men's singles pre-quarterfinals. Kiran George also secured a place in the men's singles last-16 getting the better of Singapore's higher-ranked Jia Heng Jason Teh 21-16, 21-11 in 34 minutes. World No. 31 Ayush Shetty overcame a stiff challenge from lower-ranked Chinese-Taipei shuttler Su Li Yang 15-21, 21-19, 21-13 in slightly over an hour to secure a place in the last-16 in men's singles. For

Badminton World Championship: India draws, top attractions, live streaming

With none of India's top stars reaching a major final this year and only Ayush Shetty's Super 300 US Open title to show, the World Championships present a crucial chance to reverse the narrative.

Badminton faces shuttle crisis; BAI, Gopichand urge urgent alternatives

The humble shuttlecock, the lifeline of badminton, has become the sport's biggest worry with prices of imported feather shuttles more than doubling in the past year amid an acute shortage of raw material in China. A recent article in French newspaper L'Equipe attributed the crisis to changing food habits in China, where preference for pork over duck and goose meat has reduced poultry farming, and to a global surge in badminton's popularity. The squeeze has forced India's top stakeholders to admit the sport can no longer depend solely on goose and duck feathers. "Sooner or later, we have to move away from feathers as a natural product. The sport has grown exponentially, and between China, Indonesia and India alone, we account for nearly two-fifths of the world's population consuming shuttles, chief national coach Pullela Gopichand told PTI. "The scarcity isn't just about fewer ducks or geese being reared, it's also because more people are playing badminton. That's a good sign, but .

Lakshya Sen, Tharun Mannepalli fall short At semi-final stage In Macau Open

India's campaign at the Macau Open Super 300 badminton tournament came to an end on Saturday after Lakshya Sen and Tharun Mannepalli suffered semifinal defeats in their respective men's singles matches. Lakshya, a 2021 world championship bronze medallist and reigning Commonwealth Games champion, couldn't match the pace and precision of Indonesia's Alwi Farhan, going down 16-21 9-21 in a 39-minute contest to continue his patchy run that has seen him struggle with form and fitness this season. In the other semifinal, India's Tharun Mannepalli went down fighting against Malaysia's Justin Hoh in a gripping three-game contest that lasted an hour and 21 minutes. The 23-year-old Mannepalli, ranked 47th in the world, squandered a strong start to lose 21-19 16-21 16-21 in a match marked by fluctuating momentum and a flurry of unforced errors. Lakshya vs Farhan =========== It has been a tough season for world number 17 Lakshya, who has had seven first-round exits and two second-round ouste

Tharun and Lakshya Sen advance to Macau Open quarterfinals with big wins

India's Tharun Mannepalli shocked top seed Lee Cheuk Yiu of Hong Kong to enter the quarterfinals of the Macau Open along with compatriot Lakshya Sen here on Thursday. Tharun rallied splendidly to outwit Lee, a world No. 15, 19-21, 21-14, 22-20 in a match that went past the hour-mark. The 23-year-old, holder of world No. 47 ranking, now has reached his second quarterfinals of a Super 300 tournament after entering the last eight at the German Open in February. In the quarterfinals, Tharun will face world No. 87 Hu Zhe An of China. Later, Commonwealth Games champion Lakshya Sen fought past Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo of Indonesia 21-14, 14-21, 21-17 to enter the last-eight stage. However, Ayush Shetty was ousted after a 18-21, 16-21 loss to Malaysia's Justin Hoh. In the women's singles India's Rakshitha Ramraj went down against Busanan Ongbamrungphan of Thailand 21-14, 10-21, 11-21 in a match that lasted 51 minutes. In the mixed doubles, fifth-seeded Indian duo of Dhruv Kapila and Tanis

Macau Open: Satwik-Chirag chase title; Lakshya, Prannoy seek form boost

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will aim to extend their consistent run and grab their maiden title of the season at the Macau Open Super 300, starting Tuesday, as the top Indian shuttlers continue their preparations for next month's World Championships in Paris. The Asian Games champions earned yet another semifinal finish at the China Open Super 1000 last week, going down to Malaysian second seeds Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik. It has been a season of steady performances for the world No. 3 pair, who have made the semifinals at the India Open, Singapore Open, and Malaysia Open besides reaching the quarterfinals at the Indonesia Open. They, however, suffered a second-round exit at the Japan Open last week. Despite multiple deep runs, Satwik and Chirag, seeded second this week, are yet to convert their form into a title win -- something they will be keen to change in the French capital. They face the Malaysian duo of Low Hang Yee and Ng Eng Cheong in the opening round. In t

China Open: Unnati stuns Sindhu; Satwik-Chirag move ahead, Prannoy out

In a defining moment of her fledgling career, young Unnati Hooda stunned two-time Olympic medallist and Indian badminton stalwart PV Sindhu in a gripping three-game contest to storm into the quarterfinals of China Open Super here Thursday. Facing her decorated compatriot for only the second time, 17-year-old Hooda held her nerve in crunch moments to register a sensational 21-16, 19-21, 21-13 victory in 73 minutes, marking her maiden quarterfinal appearance at a Super 1000 event. The teenager from Rohtak, who has won Super 100 titles at the 2022 Odisha Masters and 2023 Abu Dhabi Masters, will next take on Japan's Akane Yamaguchi, the third seed and a two-time world champion. The men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty also displayed tactical discipline and composure to notch up a 21-19 21-19 victory over the eighth-seeded Indonesian combination of Leo Rolly Carnando and Bagas Maulana and progress to the quarterfinals. It was however the end of the road for HS

PV Sindhu, Unnati win; Satwik-Chirag progress at China Open 2025

Double Olympic medallist P V Sindhu overcame world number six Tomoka Miyazaki of Japan to make a promising start to her campaign at the China Open Super 1000 badminton tournament here on Wednesday. Sindhu, a former world champion, prevailed 21-15, 8-21, 21-17 over the 2022 world junior champion Miyazaki in 62 minutes. "It was a much-awaited win for me. The first round was very important for me to cross. It was three games (contest) and even in the third set, it was important for me to take the lead from the beginning because one side was very disadvantaged," Sindhu said. "So, it started off really good, but in the second game, it was hard for me to control. And in the third game, it was important that I take the lead and maintain that. "It was important for me to win these matches so that it will also give me a moral boost and also that confidence. Because sometimes I've been coming close, yet I've been losing. I need to continue this tempo and keep going." The 30-year-old from ..

Satwik-Chirag eye strong start at China Open ahead of World Championships

India's top men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will aim to build momentum for the upcoming World Championships when they compete at the China Open Super 1000 badminton tournament starting here on Tuesday. The China Open is the last major event before the World Championships, scheduled from August 25 to 31 in Paris, and all players will be hoping to register some wins to build confidence ahead of the prestigious tournament. Currently ranked world No. 15, Satwik and Chirag have reached three semifinals this season, including the Malaysia and India Open in January, but their progress was stalled by Satwik's health concerns and Chirag's back injury, which kept them out for several weeks. On their return, the duo made the semifinals at the Singapore Open and the quarterfinals at the Indonesia Open. However, they suffered a setback last week, losing to Paris Olympic silver medallists China's Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang at the Japan Open. The former world No

Six Indian shuttlers barred from World University Games over admin lapse

The Indian badminton squad that won the mixed team bronze medal at the ongoing World University Games in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany has been hit by a controversy over selection after six of the 12 chosen players were barred from participating due to an alleged administrative lapse. Twelve players were selected and sent to represent India, but only six were allowed to compete as officials failed to submit all names correctly during the managers' meeting on July 16. "This is not just mismanagement it's career sabotage. We demand answers, accountability, and that our voices be heard. We didn't lose a match we lost our right to even participate," wrote Alisha Khan, one of the players left out, on Instagram. "This isn't just a mistake. It's career sabotage by AIU and our team officials. We demand justice." According to sources, BV Rao and Ajit Mohan were the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) officials who attended the meeting. The AIU, which is the nodal body for university-level spor

Lakshya Sen, Satwik-Chirag exit Japan Open, India's campaign ends

Indian shuttlers continued to falter at the Japan Open with Lakshya Sen and the star men's doubles duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty bowing out in the second round to draw curtains on the country's campaign at the Super 750 tournament here on Thursday. World No. 18 Lakshya's inconsistent run resulted in a 19-21, 11-21 loss to Japan's Kodai Naraoka in the men's singles that lasted close to an hour. The 23-year-old, who had looked promising in the opener with a commanding 21-11, 21-18 win over China's Wang Zheng Xing, failed to carry the momentum forward. In the men's doubles, Satwik and Chirag were handed a 22-24, 14-21 defeat by the fifth-seeded Chinese combine of Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang in a battle between former world No. 1 pairs. With this win, Paris Olympics silver medallists Wei Keng and Wang Chang extended their head-to-head lead over the Indians to 7-2. After a slow start, the Indian pair did well to take an 18-14 lead but couldn't hold on to the moment

Sindhu knocked out in Japan Open; Satwik-Chirag, Lakshya, Anupama move on

Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu endured yet another first-round exit but Lakshya Sen and the men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty moved into the second round with comfortable victories at the Japan Open here on Wednesday. The 30-year-old Sindhu, who is a former world champion, went down 15-21 14-21 to Korea's Sim Yu Jin in the Super 750 tournament, marking her fifth first-round exit this year. Satwik-Chirag and Lakshya, on the other hand, registered dominant straight-game wins. After a slow start, Sindhu, who appeared rusty and error-prone and struggled with judgment of length, showed some fight in the first game but Sim regained control to claim her first career win over the Indian star. In the second, Sindhu quickly fell behind 1-6. Though she managed to level the score at 11-11, the Korean pulled away with ease to seal the match in straight games. In men's doubles, Satwik and Chirag, currently ranked 15th in the world, defeated the Korean duo of

Saina Nehwal announces divorce from Parupalli Kashyap: Here's what happened

Fans were left stunned after Saina Nehwal confirmed her separation from husband and fellow badminton star Parupalli Kashyap on Instagram

Satwik-Chirag aim Japan Open crown as Sindhu, Lakshya hunt form revival

The Indian pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will look to extend their consistent run and end their title drought when they spearhead the country's challenge at the Japan Open Super 750 badminton tournament beginning here on Tuesday. Currently ranked world No. 15, Satwik and Chirag have reached three semifinals this season, besides making the quarterfinals at the Indonesia Open last month. After semifinal finishes at the Malaysia and India Open in January, the 2022 Commonwealth Games champions missed several weeks due to Satwik's health issues and Chirag's lingering back injury. Returning to full fitness, they made a semifinal appearance at the Singapore Open and reached the quarterfinals in Indonesia. The former world No. 1 duo will open their campaign against Korea's Kang Min Hyuk and Ki Dong Ju. In singles, Lakshya Sen and PV Sindhu will hope to rediscover form at the USD 950,000 event. Lakshya has struggled this season with multiple first-round exits, his best s

Singapore Open: Satwik-Chirag reach quarters, Prannoy and Sindhu bow out

The Indian men's doubles team of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty entered the quarterfinals, while former world champion PV Sindhu suffered an early exit in the Singapore Open badminton tournament here on Thursday. Satwiksairaj and Chirag rallied to beat seventh-seeded Indonesian pair of Sabar Karyaman Gutama and Moh Reza Pahlevi Isfahani 19-21 21-16 21-19 in a gruelling contest that lasted one hour and 14 minutes. They will face the second seeded Malaysian team of Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin in the next round. It was a commendable performance by the Indian duo, which is making a comeback after battling fitness issues for the past few weeks. Double Olympic medalist Sindhu went down to world No. 5 Chen Yufei of China 9-21, 21-18, 16-21 in 65 minutes in a hard-fought second-round match. Sindhu, who recently slipped to world No. 17, showed glimpses of her old form, especially in the second game where she led 19-12 before closing it out 21-18. However, the decider saw her .

Winning return for Satwik-Chirag in Singapore; Lakshya retires mid-game

India's top men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty made a winning return, while there was heartbreak for Lakshya Sen, who was forced to retire midway through his opening round clash at the Singapore Open Super 750 badminton tournament here on Wednesday. Back on court for the first time since their withdrawal from the All England Open in March due to Chirag's back injury, the former world No.1 displayed no signs of rust as they beat Malaysia's Choong Hon Jian and Muhammad Haikal 21-16, 21-13 in just under 40 minutes in the round of 32. It was Satwik and Chirag's second win over the 41st-ranked Malaysian pair. The Indians are currently ranked 27th in the world. The pair had also missed the Sudirman Cup earlier this month, with Satwik battling health concerns. Prior to that, they had made semifinal appearances at both the Malaysia Open and India Open this season. India's no 1 singles player Sen was forced to retire hurt during his opening-round clash against L

Like minded Tanisha-Dhruv reviving mixed doubles magic in India with flair

Both Tanisha and Dhruv felt an immediate connection when they played the Syed Modi International in November 2024 and reached the final