The talented badminton pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, impressed everyone with their skills, but Lakshya Sen faced a tough moment in the Olympic bronze medal match, showcasing the mix of joy and disappointment in Indian badminton this season.
Satwik and Chirag reached four finals and won two titles, making fans dream of an Olympic medal. However, they exited in the quarterfinals in Paris. They became one of the best pairs in the world by winning titles at the French Open and Thailand Super 500, along with runner-up spots in Malaysia and India, but missed out on an Olympic medal for the second time. After their heartbreaking loss, their coach, Mathias Boe, resigned, but former coach Tan Kim Her made a positive return, bringing new hope.
For Lakshya Sen, despite his strong performances earlier this year, like reaching the semifinals at the French Open, he fell short in the Olympic bronze match, leaving him in disbelief. After some challenges, he won the Syed Modi International title, giving hope for the next season.
PV Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medalist, also had a tough year. She changed her coaching team and moved to Bengaluru to train under legend Prakash Padukone, but early exits from tournaments were discouraging. She did reach the Malaysia Masters final but missed out on an Olympic medal, marking her first season without medals in eight years. Fortunately, she ended the year strong by winning the Syed Modi International title and is set to get married soon.
HS Prannoy’s season was marked by challenges as well. He battled health issues but still made it to the knockout rounds in Paris. However, Indian players’ struggle for medals disappointed Prakash Padukone, who called for players to be more accountable.
There’s good news for women’s doubles, as pairs like Ashwini Ponnappa with Tanisha Crasto and Gayatri Gopichand with Treesa Jolly showed talent. Ashwini and Tanisha surprisingly qualified for the Olympics and won a title at the Guwahati Masters, while Gayatri and Treesa won their first Super 300 title despite missing Olympic qualification.
Several young players, like Anmol Kharb and Tanvi Sharma, have also emerged as future stars. Anmol helped India win a gold medal at the Asian Team Championships, and Tanvi reached the finals of the Odisha Masters. Other promising players include Arundhati Reddy, Devika Sihag, and Malvika Bansod, who showed great skills against higher-ranked players.
Meanwhile, India’s para badminton team shone at the Paris Paralympics, winning five medals including a gold from Kumar Nitish. Despite a setback from five-time world champion Pramod Bhagat’s suspension, Nitish stepped up to win gold in his category. Other medalists included Suhas Yathiraj and Manisha Ramadass, making India proud in Paris.
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