Badminton News: Two-time Commonwealth Games champion Saina Nehwal will not take part in the national badminton trials for the upcoming Asian Games due to fitness issues.

The Badminton Association of India (BAI) will hold trials from May 4-7 at the Jwala Gutta Academy of Excellence in Telangana to select the teams for the prestigious tournament, which will be held in Hangzhou, China, from September 23-8 october.

“Saina Nehwal will not participate as she has fitness issues. Men’s doubles duo Kushal Raj and Prakash Raj have also withdrawn from the trials,” BAI Secretary Sanjay Mishra told PTI.

“However, other players invited to the trials will be competing this week for a spot.”

Saina Nehwal last played at the Orleans Masters. Struggling with injuries for some time, the former world number one missed trials for the Asian Mixed Team Badminton Championships in January. He also missed the trials for the Commonwealth Games last year.

BAI directly selected double Olympic medalists PV Sindhu (World No. 11), HS Prannoy (World No. 9), men’s duo Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy (World No. 6) and women’s combination Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand ( No. 1 in the world). 19) for the Asian Games “based on their ranking in the BWF Top 20 rankings as of April 18.”

The national federation released the line-up for the Asian Games selection event on April 22, setting April 28 as the confirmation deadline.

World Championship silver and bronze medalist Kidambi Srikanth (world 23) and Commonwealth Games champion Lakshya Sen (world 24), Orleans Masters Super 300 winner Priyanshu Rajawat, national champion Mithun Manjunath and Tokyo Olympic B Sai Praneeth are among the nine sons of a singles player, who had to struggle in tryouts.

In women’s singles, Aakarshi Kashyap, Malvika Bansod, Ashmita Chaliha, Unnati Hooda will be among the women’s singles players who will take part in the trials.

Three players will be selected for men’s singles and women’s singles, while two pairs of mixed doubles and a pair of men’s doubles and a women’s doubles will be selected in tryouts.

Tags: saina nehwal, asian games 2023