Sindhu will have to draw upon her big-match mentality to contribute another medal to her collection of silver and bronze from the previous two editions. Meanwhile, Satwik and Chirag will strive to maintain their successful run in the French capital, having already captured the men’s doubles super 750 title here earlier this year.
For Ashwini Ponnappa, Paris is expected to be her final Olympic appearance, and she will aspire to be third time fortunate as she spearheads the women’s doubles challenge alongside debutant Tanisha Crasto.
Additionally, there are two other first-time participants — HS Prannoy and Lakshya Sen, who will be equally determined to secure a medal. However, the catch is that only one of them can accomplish this feat, considering they are set to face each other in the pre-quarterfinals if they progress beyond the group stage.
The journey to Paris for the singles stars has been filled with challenges and obstacles. However, Satwik-Chirag have been performing on a completely different level. Their impressive run this year includes securing two titles and making it to the finals in four tournaments.
They were part of the Thomas Cup-winning team, clinched the Commonwealth Games gold and World Championships bronze in 2022, followed by the Asian Games and Asian Championships gold besides achieving the world number one ranking.
Satwik-Chirag, the third seeds, find themselves in Group C alongside the formidable world No.6 and current All England champions Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto from Indonesia. The group also includes the world No.31 German duo of Mark Lamsfuss and Marvin Seidel, as well as the world No.46 French pair, Lucas Corvee and Ronan Labar.
Satwik-Chirag have had the upper hand in their recent encounters with Alfian and Ardianto, emerging victorious in their last three meetings. They also boast a 1-0 record against the German pair and a perfect 2-0 against the French duo.
Satwik and Chirag will aim to secure the top spot in their group, setting the tone for a dominant performance as they progress to the knockout stages. However, they will face stiff competition from the likes of Chinese world No.1 pair Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, as well as the No.4 Korean duo, Kang Min Hyuk and Seo Seung Jae, who pose the most significant threat to their gold medal aspirations.
Meanwhile, Sindhu’s journey leading up to the Games has been marked by inconsistency. A left ankle injury in 2022 required six months to recover, and she faced challenges throughout 2023. Just a few months after her return, she suffered a knee injury in October last year.
Although she made a comeback in February, Sindhu struggled to find her best form, with her runner-up finish at the Malaysia Masters being the highlight of her recent performances.
Sindhu, known for her willingness to experiment, recently ended her partnership with Korean coach Park Tae-sang, who had led her to a bronze medal in Tokyo. In her quest to rediscover her form, she briefly trained under Malaysian Hafiz Hashim before ultimately deciding to join the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy, where she now works with Indonesian coach Agus Santoso.
Despite the formidable challenges posed by top players like An Se Young, Chen Yu Fei, Tai Tzu Ying and Carolina Marin, Sindhu remains a formidable competitor in high-stakes matches. In the group stage, she is set to face World No. 75 Kristin Kuuba of Estonia and No. 111 Fatimah Razzaq of Maldives. However, the knockout stage is likely to pit her against two Chinese opponents, He Bingjiao and Olympic champion Chen Yu Fei.
Sindhu’s unblemished record against Chinese players in the World Championships and Olympics could prove crucial in her pursuit of a medal.
In the men’s singles category, Lakshya enters the tournament unseeded, largely due to his inability to defend his Canada Open title because of visa issues. Consequently, he faces a daunting task, having been drawn against third-seeded Indonesian Jonatan Christie, who holds a 4-1 head-to-head advantage over the Indian shuttler.
To advance, Lakshya must also overcome Tokyo semifinalist Kevin Cordon and Belgium’s Julien Carragi.
Only one shuttler qualifies from the group and if Lakshya can achieve that, he is likely to square off against Prannoy, who has been drawn with lower-ranked players Vietnam’s Le Duc Phat and Germany’s Fabian Roth in Group K.
Bronze medallist at both the World Championships and Asian Games, Lakshya faced a challenging year in 2024 due to various health concerns. He struggled with a stomach ailment, a persistent back injury and even contracted chikungunya. Despite his reputation for performing well in major tournaments, his physical fitness will be a crucial factor in his success.
In 2023, Ashwini and Tanisha delivered an impressive performance, but they face a tough draw in Group C. Their most formidable opponents will be the fourth-seeded Japanese pair, Chiharu Shida and Nami Matsuyama, along with the South Korean duo, Kim So Yeong and Kong Hee Yong. Additionally, they will have to contend with Australia’s Setyana Mapasa and Angela Yu in their group.
