Indian badminton stars PV Sindhu, HS Prannoy, and Lakshya Sen have learned their group stage opponents at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Sindhu, seeded 10th, will face Estonia's Kristin Kuuba (ranked 75) and Fathimath Nabaaha of Maldives (ranked 111) in Group M. Sindhu has a good history against Nabaaha but is yet to face Kuuba in an international tournament. Meanwhile, Prannoy and Lakshya Sen have been handed relatively easier draws, with Prannoy facing Vietnam's Le Duc Phat and Germany's Fabian Roth and Lakshya facing world No. 3 Jonathan Christie.
PV Sindhu, HS Prannoy, Lakshya Sen Learn Paris 2024 Olympic Group Opponents
As the countdown to the 2024 Paris Olympics continues, Indian badminton stars PV Sindhu, HS Prannoy, and Lakshya Sen have discovered their group stage adversaries.
PV Sindhu
Ranked 10th in the world, Sindhu has been seeded and placed in Group M. Her opponents include Kristin Kuuba of Estonia (ranked 75) and Fathimath Nabaaha of the Maldives (ranked 111). Sindhu has a positive record against Nabaaha but has yet to face Kuuba in an international competition.
HS Prannoy
Prannoy, currently ranked 13th, has been drawn in Group N. He will face Le Duc Phat of Vietnam (ranked 84) and Fabian Roth of Germany (ranked 88). Prannoy holds a winning record against both opponents.
Lakshya Sen
Sen, who is ranked 10th, has been placed in Group L. His opponents are reigning world champion and world No. 3 Jonathan Christie of Indonesia and Ireland's Nhat Nguyen (ranked 77). Sen has lost to Christie in their previous two encounters but has never played Nguyen.
Background
The Paris 2024 badminton tournament will feature a total of 16 groups with four players in each group. The top two players from each group will advance to the knockout stage.
Sindhu has been one of the most successful Indian badminton players in history. She won a silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics and a bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She is also a two-time world champion and has won multiple medals at the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.
Prannoy and Sen are rising stars in Indian badminton. Prannoy has won several titles on the international circuit and was ranked as high as world No. 8 in 2019. Sen, who is just 21 years old, won the India Open in 2022 and has reached the semifinals of the prestigious All England Open Championships twice.
Top 5 FAQs
1. When will the Paris 2024 Badminton Tournament take place? Answer: The tournament will take place from August 1 to August 9, 2024.
2. Where will the tournament be held? Answer: The tournament will be held at the Stade Pierre de Coubertin in Paris.
3. How many players will participate in the tournament? Answer: A total of 64 players (32 men and 32 women) will participate in the tournament.
4. Who are the favorites to win the gold medal in the men's and women's singles events? Answer: Viktor Axelsen of Denmark and Akane Yamaguchi of Japan are the favorites to win the gold medal in the men's and women's singles events, respectively.
5. Have any Indian badminton players ever won an Olympic gold medal? Answer: No, no Indian badminton player has ever won an Olympic gold medal. Sindhu's silver medal in 2016 is India's best-ever result in the sport at the Olympics.
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