HYDERABAD: Ten medals in ten years and the Indians are yearning for more as the BWF World Championships kick off in Copenhagen on Monday. Led by the indomitable PV Sindhu, Indian shuttlers ruled the roost at the Worlds, winning at least a medal at every edition since 2013.
Sindhu opened the tally with a bronze at Guangzhou and pocketed five medals including a gold and a silver. All eyes will be on men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty. Ranked No.2 in the world, the pair is on the cusp of glory as a gold medal will also catapult them to the top of the world rankings.
With the terrific form they are in, they can become the first Indian pair to win a doubles gold and also become No.1. Chief coach Pullela Gopichand said that they can beat any pair in the world now. "They are in such great form that they can beat any team. They are already No.2 and I am confident that they will bag the big prize," Gopichand said.
As several big teams are in the top-half of the draw, Satwik-Chirag are expected to reach the semifinals without breaking much sweat. The reigning Asian champions are in the form of their life and barring an upset, they should be finishing on the top of the podium.
A semifinal appearance will ensure a bronze at the Worlds.
HS Prannoy, the most consistent singles shuttler would be ruing his luck. The Malaysia Masters champion is the best Indian bet in men's singles. But the Kerala lad will be running into the imperious Viktor Axelsen of Denmark in the quarterfinals. The reigning world and Olympic champion looks unbeatable at the moment.
