India's badminton doubles coach, Tan Kim Her, has confirmed that star player
Championship Draw and Key Matches
The tournament promises to be thrilling, with notable matchups already on the horizon. In a highly anticipated first-round clash, Ayush Shetty, who recently earned a silver medal at the Asian Championships, will face off against Shi Yuqi of China, the defending champion and top seed. Meanwhile, fifth-seeded Rankireddy and Shetty will receive a bye in the opening round, setting them up to compete against the winners of a match between Scotland's Alexander Dunn and Adam Pringle and Thailand's Chaloempon Charoenkitamorn and Worrapol Thongsa-Nga.
Reflecting on the recent performances of Rankireddy and Shetty, who faced early exits in the Japan and Indonesia Opens due to injuries, Tan urged them to manage their expectations. "The last game they played was the Singapore Open, which they won. After that, Satwik got injured, but he has now fully recovered. The focus should be on taking it one match at a time," he stated.
Support and Strategy Ahead of the Championships
Tan expressed satisfaction with the draw but cautioned that the competition will intensify after the first round. He reiterated the importance of a measured approach, stating, "What I can tell the players is we take one match at a time." Additionally, he commented on the return of former Indian doubles coach Mathias Boe, who is now serving as a consultant. Tan clarified that Boe's role is more of a supportive friend rather than a direct coach during training or matches.
With the world championships returning to India after 17 years, Tan encouraged the players to embrace the home advantage. "All Indian players should take this positively. The supporters will be with us, so they should play with full confidence," he concluded.
In other matchups, 2022 world championships bronze medallist Lakshya Sen is set to compete against Austria's Collins Valentine Filimon in the men's singles first round. Meanwhile,
As the championships unfold, all eyes will be on the Indian players, including the men's doubles pair of Rankireddy and Shetty, who are anticipated to face a challenging match against the 12th-seeded Indonesian duo of Raymond Indra and Nikolaus Joaquin, who reached the finals of the Indonesia Open in June.
