Due to fitness concerns, Saina Nehwal, a two-time winner at the Commonwealth Games, will not take part in the national badminton selection trials for the forthcoming Asian Games.
The Badminton Association of India (BAI) will choose the squad for the renowned competition, which will be held in Hangzhou, China from September 23 to October 8, by holding a trial from May 4 to May 7 at the Jwala Gutta Academy of Excellence in Telangana.
Saina Nehwal won't be competing because of her fitness difficulties. Additionally, the male duo of Kushal Raj and Prakash Raj withdrew from the trials, according to BAI secretary Sanjay Mishra, who spoke to PTI.
However, the remaining players who were invited to the trials will be vying for the positions this week.
Saina most recently competed in the Orleans Masters. The former world number one missed the tryouts for the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships in January due to ongoing ailments. She had also missed the Commonwealth Games trials the previous year.
PV Sindhu (World No. 11), HS Prannoy (World No. 9), Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy (World No. 6), Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand (World No. 19), and HS Prannoy were all directly chosen by BAI for the Asian Games “based on their placing in the BWF Top 20 ranking list as of April 18”.
The nine men's singles competitors who will compete in the trials include Kidambi Srikanth, the World No. 23, who won the silver and bronze medals at the World Championships, Lakshya Sen, the World No. 24, who won the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games, Priyanshu Rajawat, the national champion Mithun Manjunath, and Tokyo Olympian B Sai Praneeth.
Women's singles shuttlers Aakarshi Kashyap, Malvika Bansod, Ashmita Chaliha, and Unnati Hooda will be participating at the trials. Men's and women's singles will each have up to three players chosen, while two mixed doubles pairs, one men's doubles and one women's doubles pair, and one men's doubles and one women's doubles pair will all be chosen based on the trials.
Players' list for trials for the Asian Games in 2023:
Male Singles
Kidambi Srikanth, Sai Praneeth, Maisnam Meiraba, Bharat Raghav, Ansal Yadav, and Siddhant Gupta are some of the individuals mentioned.
Female Singles:
Anupama Upadhyay, Alisha Naik, Aditi Bhat, Malvika Bansod, Ashmita Chaliha, Unnati Hooda, and Aakrshi Kashyap Women's
Doubles:
Suraj Goala/Pruthvi Roy, Krishna Prasad/Vishuvardhan, Nithin HV/Sai Pratheek, and MR Arjun/Dhruv Kapila.
Doubles for women:
Radhika Sharma/Tanvi Sharma, Ashwini Bhat/Shikha Gautham, Tanisha Crasto/Ashwini Ponnappa, and
Doubles, mixed:
Hariharan/Varshini, Sai Pratheek/Tanisha Crasto, Hemagendra Babu/Kanika Kanwal, and Rohan Kapoor/Sikki Reddy.
