BAI to hold preparatory camp for Badminton Asia Mixed Team C'ships in Guwahati from Feb 4-8

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): The five-day preparatory camp for the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships will be held at the National Centre of Excellence in Guwahati from February 4 to 8, the Badminton Association of India (BAI) said on Monday. Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships to be played in Qingdao, China from February 11-16. The Indian team will be leaving for China on the night of February 8. Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu and Paris Olympics semi-finalist Lakshya Sen would be leading a 14-member Indian team, which had won the bronze medal in the last edition in 2023.

Apart from Sindhu and Sen, the team also boasts of the likes of Asian Games gold medallists Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty along with Olympian HS Prannoy, and others. “The NCE has been focusing on grooming the upcoming juniors since its inception and hosting a senior team camp here will also allow the juniors an opportunity to learn from the country’s finest while also providing India’s top talents to train together and create an ideal environment of team bonding ahead of this big team event,” said Badminton Association of India secretary general Sanjay Mishra.

“In addition to the technical skills that will be imparted, the camp is designed to strengthen values of discipline, teamwork, and sportsmanship among the team members. The players will have a complete development experience that prepares them for the challenges ahead,” he added.

Sindhu will be looking to make a fresh start on the international circuit after her marriage in December last year. She will be training with the team at the state-of-the-art NCE facility in Guwahati. Satwik and Chirag, too, will be aiming to avail the benefits of training in a new environment to foster team cohesion. Engagement between all the members, strategising, and creating a strong team dynamic will be key to their success in the upcoming team events. India squad:

Men: Lakshya Sen, HS Prannoy, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty, Dhruv Kapila, MR Arjun, Sathish Kumar K Women: PV Sindhu, Malvika Bansod, Gayatri Gopichand, Treesa Jolly, Ashwini Ponnappa, Tanisha Crasto, Adya Variyath