The Paris Olympics 2024 are just around the corner, and Team India, in different sports is starting to take shape. Badminton players have already made the cut and there will be no further inclusions in the team for Olympics 2024. In the men’s singles it is HS Prannoy, and Lakshya Sen who would be looking to bag medals. In the women’s singles two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu is the lone entrant.
As far as men’s doubles is concerned, India would be hoping for nothing less than a gold medal for from the Satwik/Chirag duo. And then in women’s doubles we have the underdogs Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto. Prior to the Paris Olympics 2024, it becomes imperative to trace down the rankings of these qualified players, which is a fair indicator of their current form.
HS Prannoy (13) & Lakshya Sen (14)
In the latest BWF rankings, 2023 World Championships bronze medalist Prannoy has slipped to WR-13. After a string of poor performances in 2024, the veteran has dropped out of the top-10 in the world. On the other hand, compatriot Lakshya Sen is at 14th, and has been in top-15 for over a year now.
PV Sindhu (12)
The Indian badminton queen PV Sindhu has had a tough time in the last couple of years, where she hasn’t won a single tournament. Injuries have led to a slip in her form, and eventually her rankings. She is currently ranked 12th in the world, but come the Paris Olympics 2024, she will once again be a contender.
Satwik/Chirag (3)
If one has to talk about realistic chances in badminton, then it has to be the men’s doubles specialists Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty. The duo are ranked third in the world as of now, and are potentially the best doubles team in the world at the moment. Yes, the rankings might have slipped due to an early exit here and there, but largely Satwik/Chirag are India’s massive medal hopes in Olympics 2024.
Ashwini Ponnappa/ Tanisha Crasto (19)
At the start of the year, not many gave a chance to Ashwini/Tanisha to actually qualify for the Paris Olympics. In fact, Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly were looked at as better bets, but then the duo proved their critics wrong. Not only they qualified, but are also ranked 19th in the world.
Editors pick
