PV Sindhu on Sunday said she is "definitely" going to play for the next couple of years even as the 2028 Los Angeles Games remains at the back of her mind.
Top shuttlers Ashwini Ponnappa and Lakshya Sen are among 20-odd Indian players who have started training at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy (PPBA) in Bengaluru as the sport took its first step towards resumption after the COVID-19 hiatus. Confined to their homes for more than two months due to the nationwide lockdown to contain the health crisis, the shuttlers started training at PPBA after the Sports Authority of India (SAI) laid down rules for resumption of training late last month.
PV Sindhu cruised into the women's singles final with a dominating straight-game win over fellow Indian Unnati Hooda in the semis.
Shocked at the way Lakshya Sen succumbed to pressure in the men's singles badminton bronze medal play-off at the Paris Olympics, the legendary Prakash Padukone said it's high time players learn to withstand pressure, become accountable and start delivering results after receiving support.
The Indian hockey team entered the Olympic semifinals for a second successive edition but Lakshya Sen's zealous push for a gold turned into a hunt for bronze on a bitter-sweet Sunday for India at the Paris Games.
In a series of tweets, Sawant questioned the selection of the team and urged Badminton Association of India (BAI) president Himanta Biswa Sarma to look into the matter.
P V Sindhu failed in her quest to win her first BWF World Tour title since the Singapore Open in July 2022, beaten by China's Wang Zhi Yi 21-16, 5-21, 21-16 in the final of the Malaysia Masters Super 500 on Sunday.
The event's ambitious Guinness World Record attempt will have scores of participants assembling to create a colossal human image of a bird, adorned entirely in pink.
Sindhu will play her opening match on Sunday, while B Sai Praneeth and the men's pair of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy will be in action on Saturday.
Asked if the cancellation of the first match's result had any impact on him, Sen said, "I just took it as a practice match; now it is time for me to just focus on one match at a time. I will rest, recover and try to be at my best against Christie.
American tennis great Andre Agassi is set to visit India in January to officially flag off a major pickleball event in India.
India's campaign at the Canada Open Super 500 badminton tournament ended after Priyanshu Rajawat was beaten in straight games to France's Alex Lanier in the men's singles semi-finals on Saturday.
Saina and Kashyap were joined on their holiday by fellow badminton stars H S Prannoy and his wife Swetha Rachel Thomas and Pranaav Jerry Chopra and Pradnya Gadre.
Taapsee Pannu wed longtime beau Mathias Boe over the weekend in Udaipur.
'Well, I think every year, in the last few years, has been better than the previous one'
Tai, who has played with both knees in braces in Paris, had previously opened up about an issue with her left knee.
Sindhu stands on the brink of history as she pursues the gold medal in the upcoming Games, having won a silver and bronze in 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo edition respectively.
In the tournament played in Mallorca, she narrowly beat Thailand's Darunee Henpraiwan 12-21, 21-17, 21-19 to win the title.
One particular shot which left everyone, including Lakshya Sen's opponent Jonatan Christie stunned, was a jaw-dropping behind-the-back return.
Afghan B-Girl Manizha Talash, a member of the refugee Olympic team at the Paris Games, was disqualified after displaying the words "Free Afghan Women" on her cape.
Joining the party at a ceremony at its headquarters in New Delhi, Nehwal, 29, said the BJP has been doing 'a lot of good', and she would work to do her bit as its member.
Marin Carolina has come a long way to be the reigning Olympic and world champion but the Spaniard yearns for more as she continues her journey towards becoming the best-ever in the sport.
Check out how India's athletes fared on Day 5, Wednesday, July 31, 2024:
The Indian men's team qualified automatically by virtue of being the defending champions while the women made the cut after winning a historic gold medal at the Badminton Asia Team Championships in Malaysia earlier this year.
India's para-athletes, defying physical limitations, showcased exceptional determination in their recent Paralympic campaign, contributing to a historic medal haul of 29.
The batting icon is set to be part of a conglomerate to buy the Mumbai Masters franchise in the event.
Srikanth outwitted world no. 24 Chinese Taipei's Wang Tzu Wei 21-17, 21-18 in a 43-minute contest.
Lee, who was diagnosed with early stage nose cancer last year, said he opted to retire after being told by doctors that his body could no longer take the intense training needed for high-level competition.
'I envision a vibrant future for badminton, witnessing the emergence of new champions and an expanding fan base. As legends, our responsibility is to inspire and motivate these budding stars, contributing to the progression of the sport's legacy,' says Saina who won an Olympic bronze medal in 2012 and achieving the World No. 1 ranking in 2015.
Sreejesh and Aneeshya have two children -- son Sreeansh and daughter Anusree.
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty notched up a dominating straight-game win against Indonesian duo of Muhammad Rian Ardianto and Fajar Alfian to top Group C.
A look at how India's athletes fared on Day 4, Tuesday, July 30, 2024:
In an open letter, BWF secretary general Thomas Lund said the decision to go ahead with the All England Championships was made based on the best advice at that time. "It has been very disappointing to see some members of the badminton community speculate on the sincerity and motives of the BWF in this time of crisis," Lund wrote.
Eight women badminton players were disqualified by the sport's federation from the London Games competition, the federation said on Wednesday, after they tried to lose matches in a bid to secure a more favourable draw.
