PV Sindhu Withdraws from Badminton Asia Team Championships, Dealing Setback to India’s Medal Hopes
India’s campaign at the upcoming Badminton Asia Team Championships has suffered a major setback, with two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu pulling out of the tournament scheduled to begin next week in Qingdao.
Sindhu, who recently returned to competitive action after recovering from a foot injury that sidelined her since October last year, has withdrawn due to a minor fitness concern. “Sindhu has pulled out of the Asia Team Championships because of a slight niggle,” a source familiar with the matter told PTI.
The 30-year-old former world champion has had a cautious comeback on the international circuit. Since returning, she reached the semifinals of the Malaysia Open, suffered a first-round exit at the India Open, and made the quarterfinals of the Indonesia Masters. Earlier this year, she had also withdrawn from the 2025 Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships after picking up a hamstring injury during a training camp in Guwahati.
Sindhu’s absence significantly dents India’s medal prospects at the continental team event, where the women’s team will be defending the historic gold they won at the 2024 edition in Malaysia — India’s first-ever medal in the women’s team competition.
Placed in Group Y alongside Thailand and Myanmar, India will now rely on a younger and less experienced singles line-up. World junior championships silver medallist Tanvi Sharma, along with Unnati Hooda, Rakshita Sree Santhosh Ramraj, and Malvika Bansod, will shoulder the responsibility in singles.
In doubles, Commonwealth Games bronze medallists Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly are expected to lead the challenge, with support from Priya Konjengbam, Shruti Mishra, and Tanisha Crasto.
As India prepares to begin its campaign on February 3, the focus will now shift to how the next generation steps up in the absence of its biggest star.
News Source : Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
