Malaysia Open: Malaysia 1st pit-stop in Olympics race for shuttlers

Kuala Lumpur, January 8

With the Paris Olympics qualification at stake, top Indian shuttlers, including HS Prannoy and Lakshya Sen, will hope to begin the new season on a bright note when they start their campaign at the Malaysia Open Super 1000 here tomorrow.

A lot will be on the line for Indian shuttlers in the next four months as they zoom through a hectic calendar, hoping to get inside the world’s top-16 by April-end to book their berths for the Paris Games.

Frontrunner in the Olympics race, world No. 8 Prannoy, had a sensational season with maiden bronze medals at the World Championships and the Asian Games and a title-run at the Malaysia Masters Super 500. He also registered a final finish at the Australia Open super 500.

The 31-year-old, seeded 8th, will hope to continue his rich vein of form when he opens against Denmark’s Anders Antonsen, who made a successful comeback from an injury by winning the Korea Open in 2023.

Focus will also be on Lakshya and Kidambi Srikanth as they fight to get inside the top-16 after enduring contrasting fates last season.

Things are not going to be easy for Sen and Srikanth as they face tough competitors in China’s Weng Hong Yang and sixth seed Jonatan Christie of Indonesia, respectively, in the opening round here.