Abhinn Shyam Gupta and Nikhil Kanetkar will lead India's challenge in the World Badminton Championship, which has been rescheduled to take place from July 28.

The World Championship were to be originally held in Birmingham, England from May 12-18, but were postponed due to the the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. It will now take place from July 28 to August 3, an
International Badminton Federation release said on Friday. Eight countries will be participating.

The championship is one of the major IBF event in which the players get a chance to gather crucial ranking points for
their Athens Olympics qualification campaign, which ends on April 30, 2004.

India's challenge in the women's section would be led by seasoned campaigner Aparna Popat, while in the men's doubles event V Diju/Sanave Thomas and Jaseel P Ismail/Jaison Xavier would carry the country's hopes.

The pair of Jwala Gutta/Shruti Kurien will represent India in the women's doubles.

The IBF's Annual General Meeting, which was postponed alongwith the World Championship, will now be held on July 27, the release said.