BWF World Championships: Tough challenge awaits for Indian shuttlers in Paris; Coach Pullela Gopichand hopeful of winning medals

Jaipur: Indian shuttlers have their task cut out as they brace for the 29th edition of the BWF World Badminton Championships which begins in Paris from Monday.Contrary to the Olympics where India has managed to win just three medals in badminton so far, the World Championships has proved a happy hunting ground, with the Indian shuttlers notching up 14 medals since 2011. In each edition in the last 14 years, India did not return empty-handed from the annual tournament.This time, however, the Indian shuttlers must play out of their skins to hope to be in the reckoning for a medal. Most of the players have been struggling with form, and injuries have made matters worse. That the Indians have been handed a tough draw does not make things easier.Despite the hurdles, chief national coach Pullela Gopichand is optimistic about India’s chances and hopeful of maintaining the medal-winning run at the Worlds.“We have always done well at the World Championships. I know the draw is tough this time and our players are not in the best of form. However, our experienced shuttlers have shown in the past that they can raise the bar at the right time. I am hopeful of a good show,” Gopichand told TOI .Lakshya Sen meets top-seed Shi Yu Qi of China, who has won three World Tour Super 1000 titles this season. Lakshya, the 2021 bronze medallist, had stretched the inform Chinese to three games at their last meeting in Indonesia a couple of months ago.