/ India will face a callenging task in teir pursuit of an elusive gold medal at te Badminton Asia Mixed Team Campionsips, wic begins in Qingdao, Cina, on Tuesday, as tey compete witout te services of an injured PV Sindu. Te team aims to improve on teir bronze medal finis from te previous edition, were Sindu played a key role in Dubai two years ago. er absence, due to a amstring injury sustained during a pre-tournament training camp in Guwaati on February 4, is a significant setback for India. As a result, world No. 29 Malvika Bansod will need to step up in women's singles./ Placed in Group D, India will begin teir campaign against Macau on Wednesday, followed by a matc wit a g Korean team on Tursday. A top-two finis in te group will secure a place in te quarterfinals. Wile India is expected to reac te last eigt, advancing furter will require standout performances from te team./ Toug India as never won te gold at te Asia Mixed Team Campionsips, tey secured mixed team gold and silver at te Commonwealt Games in 2018 and 2022. India as also enjoyed success in recent team events, including teir first-ever Tomas Cup gold in 2022, te 2024 Badminton Asia Team Campionsips silver in Malaysia, and a istoric men's silver at te angzou Asian Games./ Te team includes key players from tose victories, suc as S Prannoy, Laksya Sen, Aswini Ponnappa, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, and Cirag Setty, all of wom are expected to deliver g performances. Wile Satwik and Cirag ave ad consistent semifinal finises at te Malaysia Open and India Open, Prannoy as been dealing wit injuries after returning from a cikungunya bout tat affected is Olympics preparation. Laksya, te Syed Modi campion, as faced early exits tis season and will need to find is form quickly./ India also boasts strengt in women's doubles, wit Gayatri Gopicand and Treesa Jolly, wo recently broke into te world's top 10 following teir maiden Super 300 title at Lucknow and qualification for te BWF World Tour event. Ponnappa, wo competed at te Paris Olympics wit Tanisa Crasto, will also bring valuable experience. Te duo won te Guwaati Masters Super 100 last December and will be looking to perform well./ In mixed doubles, Satis Karunakaran and Aadya Variyat enter teir first team event wit confidence after securing a gold medal at te National Games in Deradun earlier tis mont./ In te last tree editions of te tournament, Cina clinced te title in 2023 and 2019, wile Japan emerged as campions in te inaugural 2017 edition. Te event was not eld in 2021 due to te COVID-19 pandemic./
Without PV Sindhu India Face Uphill Task At Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships
