Thomas Cup and CWG gold are evidence of Indian badminton’s succes so far this year, but there is still more for improvement

As the players take a much-needed break before the Denmark Open in October, it’s time to take stock of where Indian badminton stands at the moment. “We could’ve done better,” said Pulella Gopichand, who is all set to resume travelling with the team starting October. “Satwiksairaj (Rankireddy) and Chirag (Shetty) are as good as any in the world and it’s time they start winning tournaments. They both have an allround game and with the strength they have they can take out any pair in the world at the moment,” he added.

With their first medal (bronze) at the World Championships, not to forget the CWG gold, Chirag and Satwik are India’s best bet at the moment for the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games (to be played in 2023) and the 2024 Paris Olympics. Both Chirag (24) and Satwik (21) are young and they will only get better and stronger in the coming years. While they have a poor record against the Malaysians, there’s nothing, as Gopi said, that they don’t have to turn the tables.

“Most of the matches have been close. There are very few like them and they should be able to make things count,” the head coach said. “We have had a great season and we will only get better. Our on- and off-court chemistry is excellent and that’s the key to being a very good doubles team,” Chirag said.

With Dhruv Kapila and Arjun Madathil Ramachandran also doing well at the World Championships in Tokyo last month, including beating the 8th-ranked Danish pair of Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen, men’s doubles, not a traditional Indian strength, now looks in very good shape. The same can’t be said of women’s singles, however. Saina Nehwal is clearly a shadow of the player she once was, and Akarshi Kashyap a n d M a l av i k a Bansod haven’t shown much to be hopeful about.

So, it will all boil down to PV Sindhu in 2023 and 2024 with a young Tasneem Mir expected to get better over time. Sindhu, who was stellar in the Singapore Open and the CWG, knows how to handle the big stage. Her rankings notwithstanding, few would want to bet against her in Hangzhou and Paris. “She has added to her game and it is showing,” said Park Tae-Sang, Sindhu’s coach, soon after the CWG victory.

“The plan ultimately has to be Paris 2024,” said Sindhu, currently recuperating from the ankle injury that kept her o u t o f the World Championships. Men’s singles looks in good health, too, with Lakshya Sen having improved considerably and HS Prannoy having his best-ever season. “It was a very good season, though I’d love to be more consistent,” said Prannoy. Prannoy, 30, played some incredible matches and eked out some incredible victories but couldn’t win a big title. He lost multiple semifinals and that’s where he needs to get better in 2023.

“If we are able to work on Prannoy, there is no reason why he can’t do well in Paris. He has beaten most of the top players and has an all-round game,” Gopi said. While Kidambi Srikanth was spectacular at the Thomas Cup, he has struggled since. But it will be too early to write him off. “I wouldn’t want you to forget Srikanth. He always has a chance given his quality,” said Gopi before adding, “Lakshya now has one of the best defences in the world.

So, if you ask me, all of them look good going into 2023.” In women’s doubles, Teresa Jolly and Gopichand have shown promise. “They need to add some more strength to their shots, especially on slow courts. If they do that and they are both very young, they can be a force to reckon with in Paris 2024,” said one of the coaches on tour with the team. In sum, Indian badminton will look back at 2022 as a success but with a feeling that it could have been better with one or two more titles.