Paris: India’s HS Prannoy (PTI Photo/Ravi Choudhary) NEW DELHI: HS Prannoy has pulled out of the Orleans Masters Super 300 badminton tournament after sustaining a shoulder injury at the Swiss Open in Basel last week. The experienced Indian shuttler was originally scheduled to face top seed Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei in the opening round.Prannoy first felt discomfort heading into the Swiss Open and decided to withdraw from his match against Koki Watanabe to avoid aggravating the injury. Upon return, scans revealed a minor tear in the shoulder.
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“Shoulder pain occurred after traveling to Swiss Open. We didn’t know the reason then, so I decided to withdraw and fly back,” Prannoy told PTI.“After the scan it showed a slight tear. It’s small and hopefully I should be fine soon,” he added. The Indian star is now looking to recover in time for the upcoming Asian Championships to be held in Ningbo, China.
Young Indian players are leading the challenge
With Prannoy out, younger players will lead India’s campaign in the tournament. Rising star Ayush Shetty, seeded eighth and currently world No. 25, will be one of the main contenders after winning the US Open Super 300 last year. He begins his campaign against Lee Chia Hao.Former world number one Kidambi Srikanth will also be in action against Denmark’s Magnus Johannesen. Other Indian players in the men’s singles include Tharun Mannepalli, who recently reached the quarter-finals at the Swiss Open, and Kiran George, who stunned former world champion Loh Kean Yew in Basel.
Focus on the women’s and doubles events
In the women’s singles, young talent Tanvi Sharma, silver medalist at the BWF World Junior Championships, will take on Supanida Katethong. Malvika Bansod also returns after recovering from a long knee injury to face Sung Shuo Yun.India will also compete in the doubles. Pairs like Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun in men’s doubles and Dhruv Kapila with Tanisha Crasto in mixed doubles will look to put up strong runs to keep India’s hopes alive in the tournament.
