Badminton News

2022-07-05 15:26

Badminton Asia Technical Committee apologises to Sindhu for 'human error'

New Delhi, Jul 5 (Badminton News) Badminton Asia Technical Committee chairman Chih Shen Chen has apologised to two-time Olympic medallist P V Sindhu for the "human error" committed by the referee during the women's singles semifinal match of the Badminton Asia Championships in April.

Sindhu had been left in tears after an "unfair" call by the umpires midway through her semifinal match against Japan's Akane Yamaguchi saw her go down in three games and eventually sign off with a bronze medal, her second in the continental championship.

"Unfortunately, there is no rectification at this time. However, we have taken the necessary steps to avoid a repetition of this human error," the official said in the letter to Sindhu.

"We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused to you. We believe it is part of the sport and that it is accepted as such." The incident had happened while Sindhu was leading 14-11 in the second game after having won the first game when the umpire handed her a one-point penalty for taking too much time to serve between points.

Sindhu, who turned 27 on Tuesday, lost her momentum after that incident and lost 21-13 19-21 16-21.

The Indian was seen having an animated discussion with the chief referee after the chair umpire asked her to hand over the shuttle to Yamaguchi but it all fell on deaf ears.

"The umpire told me you're taking a lot of time but the opponent wasn't ready at that point. But the umpire suddenly gave her the point and it was really unfair. I think that was one of the reasons why I lost," Sindhu had said.

"I mean that is my feeling because at that moment it was 14-11 and could have become 15-11 but instead, it became 14-12 and she took continuous points. And I think it was very unfair. Maybe I would have won the match and played in the final." Sindhu, who is a member of Badminton World Federation's (BWF) Athletes' Commission, had immediately written a letter to the world body and the Asia badminton confederation, protesting against the decision.

Sindhu's father PV Ramana hoped such incidents don't happen in future.

"I am just happy that they accepted the mistake. I can humbly request that if such situation arises again, the referee should take some time and see the recording, review the videos and then take an appropriate decision," he told PTI.

Sindhu is currently competing at the Malaysia Masters Super 500 tournament in Kuala Lumpur.

Also Read : P V Sindhu, HS Prannoy seek momentum at Malaysia Masters

News Source : PTI

2022-07-04 16:46

P V Sindhu, HS Prannoy seek momentum at Malaysia Masters

Kuala Lumpur, Jul 4 (Badminton News) Star shuttlers P V Sindhu and HS Prannoy will look to sustain their momentum when they spearhead the Indian challenge at the Malaysia Masters Super 500 badminton tournament, starting here on Tuesday.

Sindhu and Prannoy had suffered contrasting defeats at the quarterfinal stage of the Malaysia Open Super 750 last week and will look to make amends this week even though there was hardly any time to iron out the flaws.

While Sindhu has claimed two Super 300 titles at Syed Modi International and Swiss Open this year, Prannoy is desperate to end a five-year long wait for a title win.

Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medallist, has been consistently reaching the quarters and semis of the world tour events but she has looked slightly vulnerable against the top players.

Her losses against Thailand's Ratchanok Inthanon, China's Chen Yu Fei and He Bing Jiao, Korea's An Se Young and nemesis Tai Tzu Ying from Chinese Taipei have exposed her weaknesses, which she will look to address ahead of the upcoming Commonwealth Games.

In the opening round, the former world champion will face the formidable Bing Jiao, who had shown her the door at the Indonesia Open Super 1000 last month.

Even though Sindhu lags 8-10 in head-to-head record against Bing Jiao, the Indian has defeated the Chinese three times in the last four meetings, including the Tokyo Olympics.

It was Tzu Ying, who had prevailed in three games against Sindhu last week, and a win in the first two rounds in this tournament is likely to put her face-to-face with the ace from Taiwan yet again, in the quarterfinals.

Prannoy, on the other hand, has made a mark every time he has taken the court this season.

With a series of quarterfinal finishes since the world championships last year, Prannoy has proved to be a tough competitor on the circuit, but a podium finish has eluded him.

As someone who has fashioned India's epic Thomas Cup win in May, Prannoy has all the bearings of a champion, but he will need to ensure that he finds his best version against the top brass consistently to seize the moment.

The 29-year-old from Kerala, who had reached the semifinals at the Indonesia Super 1000, will meet Indonesia's Shesar Hiren Rhustavito in his opener and is expected to come across the seventh seeded Indonesian Jonatan Christie next, who had ended his campaign last week.

Among other Indians, B Sai Praneeth, who has been struggling with his form since the Tokyo Games, will meet Kevin Cordon of Guatemala in the opening round, while Sameer Verma, who is making a comeback from injury, is pitted against fourth seeded Taiwanese Chou Tien Chen.

Two-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist Saina Nehwal, who failed to cross the opening hurdle last week, is pitted against Kim Ga Eun of Korea.

In the doubles, the CWG-bound women's pairing of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand will meet Malaysian combination of Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan, while former CWG bronze medallists Ashwini Ponnappa and N Sikki Reddy begins against a qualifying pair.

Also Read : Gopichand hopes for historic high in CWG after epic Thomas Cup win

News Source : PTI

2022-07-03 08:03

Gopichand hopes for historic high in CWG after epic Thomas Cup win

Kolkata, Jul 2 (Badminton News) Chief national coach Pullela Gopichand is hopeful that the country's male shuttlers will be able to reclaim the gold in men's singles and better their record in doubles event at the upcoming Commonwealth Games following India's epic Thomas Cup win.

Indian shuttlers had claimed an unprecedented six medal, including two golds, three silvers and a bronze, at the 2018 edition of Commonwealth Games.

Kidambi Srikanth and the pairing of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy had finished second best at Gold Coast but Gopichand feels they can go the distance this time after fashioning India's epic win in the Thomas Cup in May.

"As a team, for the world, this performance (Thomas Cup) means a lot. We haven't performed this way at the team level, in the men's section especially," the 48-year-old said here.

"It's a huge thing, in general the team is excited and very hopeful after the way we performed in the Thomas Cup. I'm hopeful that we would do better than last time.

"Last year we won two gold medals, can we do better than that? But looking at the Thomas Cup, I'm sure we will have a chance to better our records in the men's singles and doubles." Prakash Padukone (1978) and Syed Modi (1982) and Parupalli Kashyap are the only Indian men to win the coveted gold at CWG, while Chirag and Satwik had created history by becoming the first-ever Indian pair to win a CWG medal en route to bagging a silver in 2018.

The Birmingham showpiece will be held from July 28 to August 8.

Will speak to Park, hope to sort out Sindhu's issues ==================================== Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu endured her sixth straight defeat to Chinese Taipei's Tai Tzu Ying at the Malaysia Open on Friday, making it an overall 16 losses and five wins.

Gopichand said he will discuss with her coach Park Tae Sang to sort out the problems.

"We will work on this definitely, she's a very good player, and Tai Tzu is equally good. We will plan accordingly so that she's able to reverse the losses in the near future," he said.

"We will be talking to coach Park and find out what the problems are. she is a strong player over the years, she's experienced. I'm sure she will come back strongly in a few weeks." Gopichand's daughter Gayatri will make her CWG debut in women's doubles, pairing with Teesa Jolly in Birmingham.

Asked whether he's nervous as a 'doting' dad, Gopichand gave a deadpan response.

"Every player has a growth cycle, every player has their learning curve, someone is slow learner and someone learns quickly. I hope the youngsters learn quickly and deliver for the country soon." The former All-England champion was here to inaugurate the Star Badminton Academy at Harinavi in the southern outskirts which was approved by the Government of West Bengal.

"The BAI have planned to widen the net of academies so that there will be more and more coaches across the country. It's part of the BAI's planning to hire more coaches so that they can train players in different states," he signed off.

Also Read : PV Sindhu loses to nemesis Tai Tzu Ying, exits Malaysia Open

News Source : PTI

2022-06-29 14:26

PV Sindhu, Kashyap win; Saina loses in Malaysia Open

Kuala Lumpur, Jun 29 (Badminton News) Two stalwarts of Indian women's badminton, PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal, suffered contrasting fates at the Malaysia Open Super 750 tournament with the former progressing to the second round and the latter bowing out after losing her opener here on Wednesday.

Sindhu, a former world champion, dished out a fine performance to outwit Thailand's world number 10 Pornpawee Chochuwong 21-13 21-17, but London Olympics bronze medallist Saina went down fighting against American Iris Wang, ranked 33rd in the world, 11-21 17-21 in 37 minutes.

Former Commonwealth Games champion Parupalli Kashyap also made a positive return from injury as he prevailed 21-12 21-17 over Korea's Heo Kwang Hee to advance to the second round in men's singles.

Sindhu, seeded seventh, will next face Phittayaporn Chaiwan, a 21-year-old from Thailand who held the number one ranking in world junior ranking and also was part of the bronze medal-winning team at the Uber Cup in Bangkok.

Kashyap, ranked world number 39, will meet Thailand's Kunlavut Vitidsarn, who had won the German Open Super 300 in March.

B Sumeeth Reddy and Ashwini Ponnappa, who will be leading India's charge at the Commonwealth Games, couldn't get past world number 21 pairing of Robin Tabeling and Selena Piek of the Netherlands.

The Indian duo lost 15-21 21-19 17-21 after a 52-minute battle.

Sindhu enjoys a 5-3 head-to-head record against Chochuwong, having won the last time they met, at the 2021 World Championship, and the Indian looked in good touch against the Thai, who struggled with her lengths and finishing strokes.

The match started with the duo playing at a good pace but it was Sindhu who dictated terms with her better court coverage. Chochuwong matched Sindhu in the rallies but faltered in her finishing.

The result was Sindhu led throughout the first game after securing a 4-1 advantage early on. A tight net shot earned her a four-point cushion at the break. Sindhu's front court play was more polished than her rival and she used the smashes and attacking returns to good effect whenever there was an opportunity.

Sindhu extended her lead to 16-11 before producing an over-the-head return to grab seven game points and converted it with a smash.

After the change of sides, Chochuwong started with two net errors before pouncing on some weak returns from Sindhu to lead 4-2. The Thai player kept gathering points with Sindhu also committing errors at the net or going wide.

It was one such long return from Sindhu which handed Chochuwong a three-point advantage at the break.

Chochuwong quickly moved to 16-10 with the help of two precise returns on both sides and Sindhu also miscued her shots.

But the Indian then scripted a phenomenal recovery with a five-point burst with her rival falling into a heap of unforced errors.

With the Thai going long again, Sindhu levelled the score at 17-17 and then moved to the lead with yet another shot from Chochuwong getting buried at the nets.

With the shuttle sailing out twice again, Sindhu grabbed three match points and sealed it comfortably.

Also Read : HS Prannoy advances, Praneeth, Sameer Verma exit Malaysia Open

News Source : PTI

2022-06-28 19:03

HS Prannoy advances, Praneeth, Sameer Verma exit Malaysia Open

Kuala Lumpur, Jun 28 (Badminton News) India's HS Prannoy faced stiff resistance before prevailing against local hero Daren Liew as the Indian shuttler progressed to the men's singles second round of the Malaysia Open, here on Tuesday.

A former top-10 player, Prannoy, who had reached the semifinals of Indonesia Open Super 1000 earlier this month, emerged a 21-14 17-21 21-18 winner in 62 minutes.

The 29-year-old from Kerala, ranked 21st currently, will face fourth seeded Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei next at the Super 750 badminton tournament.

Prannoy's win brought some cheers to the Indian camp after B Sai Praneeth and Sameer Verma made early exits.

While Praneeth went down to world number six Anthony Sinisuka Ginting of Indonesia, Sameer lost to world number 8 Jonatan Christie, also from Indonesia.

The 30-year-old Praneeth, currently ranked world number 19, lost 15-21 21-19 9-21 to Ginting in a 50-minute men's single match.

This was eight meeting between the two players with the Indonesian now leading the head-to-head record 5-3. They last played at the 2020 Asian Team championships where Ginting won the contest after Praneeth retired due to an injury.

Sameer, who is making a comeback from injury, fought for 49 minutes before losing 14-21 21-13 7-21 in another match.

In doubles, women's pairing of Ashwini Ponnappa and N Sikki Reddy also bowed out of the tournament after losing 15-21 11-21 to Japanese duo of Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida, seeded sixth.

Prannoy was slow off the mark but opened up a healthy 11-7 lead at the break. His strokes penetrated the defence of his opponent, who looked little passive as Prannoy was rewarded for his alertness and better control in the rallies.

The Indian kept putting the shuttles on the right areas and with Liew making some uncharacteristic errors meant Prannoy's lead was not threatened.

In the end, it was another return at the baseline which gave Prannoy the bragging rights.

After the change of sides, Liew took a 7-4 advantage with Prannoy going to the nets repeatedly. The Indian soon turned the tide with his smashes on his rival's forehand. After the break, Prannoy tried to play at a good pace but a series of unforced errors, mainly at the net, handed four game points to Liew and he sealed it with a smash.

In the decider, Prannoy moved up 6-3 but Liew again clawed his way back with three points, including an excruciating rally which left Prannoy flat on the ground.

The duo played with electrifying pace and Prannoy managed to eke out a three point cushion at the interval.

The second half of the decider was a roller-coaster ride as Liew kept breathing down Prannoy's neck but the Indian ensured he had the last laugh, sealing the contest with another powerful smash which Liew sent wide.

Also Read : Indian shuttlers B Sai Praneeth, Sameer Verma lose in Malaysia Open

News Source : PTI

2022-06-27 16:40

Sindhu, Prannoy lead India's challenge at Malaysia Open Super 750

Kuala Lumpur, Jun 27 (Badminton News) P V Sindhu will look to quickly recover from her first-round exit at Indonesia, while HS Prannoy will eye another consistent show as the duo spearhead the Indian challenge at the Malaysia Open Super 750 tournament starting here on Tuesday.

Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medallist, was shown the door in the opening round by China's He Bing Jiao at the Indonesia Open Super 1000 earlier this month and she will have to put behind that defeat when she begins her campaign against a formidable Pornpawee Chochuwong of Thailand.

While Sindhu enjoys a 5-3 head-to-head count against Chochuwong, the Indian has lost to the Thai world number 10 three times in their last five meetings, making their clash a mouth-watering prospect.

If she can cross the opening hurdle and hit a consistent run, Sindhu might come across Olympic champion Chen Yu Fei of China.

London Olympics bronze medallist Saina Nehwal also stars in the same half of the draw and will open against USA's Iris Wang. A win will put her face-to-face with Japanese sixth seed Nozomi Okuhara, a former world champion.

Saina had skipped the Indonesia leg to manage workload and will look to put up a good show against Wang, whom she had defeated in three games the only time they met last year at Orleans Masters.

In men's singles, Prannoy has been on a consistent run with a series of quarterfinals since the world championships last year. He played a pivotal role in India's epic Thomas Cup win and then dished out some superlative performances in Jakarta to reach the semifinals.

The 29-year-old was crestfallen after a series of unforced errors led to his ouster from Indonesia.

Prannoy, who is desperate to end his five year title drought, will be pitted against Malaysian veteran Daren Liew, who had defeated him at the Thailand Open in May this year.

Among others, Tokyo Olympian B Sai Praneeth will be up against sixth seeded Indonesian Anthony Sinisuka Ginting, while Sameer Verma takes on another Indonesian Jonata Christie, seeded seventh.

Former Commonwealth Games gold medallist Parupalli Kashyap, also returning after recovering from an injury, will meet Korea's Heo Kwang Hee in the opening round.

World number 8 pairing of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will also be back in action after skipping the last two events due to fitness issues. The duo will open Malaysia's Man Wei Chong and Kai Wun Tee.

In mixed doubles, Ashwini Ponnappa and B Sumeeth Reddy, who are part of India's Commonwealth Games squad, will take on the Netherland's Robin Tabeling and Selena Piek.

Venkat Gaurav Prasad and Juhi Dewangan will square off against Korea's Kim Won Ho and Jeong Na Eun.

Also Read : India's HS Prannoy continued his impressive run as he sails into Indonesia semifinals

News Source : PTI

2022-06-18 10:58

India's HS Prannoy continued his impressive run as he sails into Indonesia semifinals

Jakarta, Jun 17 (Badminton News) India's HS Prannoy continued his impressive run as he sailed into the semi-finals of the Indonesia Open Super 1000 badminton tournament with a straight-game win over world number 13 Rasmus Gemke of Denmark here on Friday.

A little over a month after his heroic win over Gemke in the decisive fifth rubber against Denmark which ensured India's entry into the Thomas Cup final, Prannoy produced yet another finely-crafted performance to outwit the Danish world number 13 21-14 21-12 in a 40-minute quarterfinal clash.

It is the second semifinal appearance for world number 23 Prannoy at the Indonesia event.

He had reached the last four in the 2017 edition during which he had stunned former Olympic gold medallist Chen Long and Malaysian great Lee Chong Wei on way to the semifinals.

Prannoy, who had reached the Swiss Open Super 300 final in March, will next face China's Zhao Jun Peng.

Coming into the match with a 2-2 head-to-head count, Prannoy didn't put a foot wrong as he played some angled cross court shots and reverse slices to good effect to keep a firm grip on the match.

The match saw short rallies with Gemke bothered by a knee issue. Prannoy waited for his opponent to make mistakes and unleashed his attacking returns whenever there was an opportunity.

The result was Prannoy galloped to a 5-0 lead before entering the break with a 11-7 cushion. He kept things under check to led the first game all throughout.

In the end, a service fault handed the Indian six game point opportunity and he sealed it with a smash on his rival's forehand corner.

The first half of the second game was a roller-coaster ride as Gemke produced a superb fightback. He started moving well and clawed back at 6-6 with a smash after lagging 3-6 initially.

Prannoy kept the pressure on his opponent but Gemke again drew parity at 9-9 with a prompt net shot but the Indian ensured a two-point cushion at the interval.

Prannoy continued to dominate the rallies after the break as his precise returns on his rival's forehand and backhand earned him points. A similar shot took the Indian to eight match points and he converted it with Gemke's return hitting the net.

Also Read : Sameer Verma, Ashwini Ponnappa-Sikki lose in Indonesia Open

News Source : PTI