New Delhi: HS Prannoy has withdrawn from the Orleans Masters Super 300 badminton tournament after sustaining a shoulder injury during last week’s Swiss Open in Basel. The veteran Indian badminton player was originally scheduled to face top seed Chou Tien-chen of Chinese Taipei in the first round.Prannoy first felt unwell heading into the Swiss Open and decided to withdraw from his match against Watanabe to avoid worsening the injury. Upon his return, scans revealed a minor tear in his shoulder.
“After playing the Swiss Open, the pain started in my shoulder. We didn’t know the cause at that time, so I decided to quit and fly back,” Pranoy told PTI.“The scan showed a slight tear. It’s a minor thing and hopefully I’ll be fine soon,” he added. The Indian star is now aiming to recover in time to participate in the upcoming Asian Championships in Ningbo, China.
Young Indian players lead the challenge
With Pranoi out of the side, young players will spearhead India’s performance in this tournament. Rising star Ayush Shetty, seeded eighth and currently ranked 25th in the world, will be one of the main contenders after winning the US Open Super 300 last year. He started a campaign against Li Jiahao.Former world no.1 Kidabi Srikanth He will also face Denmark’s Magnus Johannessen. Other Indian players competing in the men’s singles include Tharun Mannepalli, who recently reached the quarter-finals at the Swiss Open, and Kiran George, who defeated former world champion Loh Kean Yew in Basel.
Focus on women’s and doubles events
In women’s singles, BWF World Youth Championship silver medalist Tanvi Sharma will take on Supanida Kettone. Malvika Bansod also returns after recovering from a long-term knee injury and will face Song Shuoyun.India will also participate in the doubles event. The pairings of Hariharan Amsarkarunan and Arjun in the men’s doubles and Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Krastoo in the mixed doubles will be expected to put up strong performances to keep India’s hopes alive in the tournament.
