NEW DELHI — The five-day preparatory camp for the Badminton Asia Mixed Team
Championships will be held at the National Centre of Excellence in Guwahati
from February 4 to 8, the Badminton Association of India (BAI) said on Monday.
Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships to be played in
Qingdao, China from February 11-16. The Indian team will be leaving for China
on the night of February 8.
Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu and Paris Olympics
semi-finalist Lakshya Sen would be leading a 14-member Indian team, which had
won the bronze medal in the last edition in 2023.
Apart from Sindhu and Sen, the team also boasts of the
likes of Asian Games gold medallists Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty
along with Olympian HS Prannoy, and others.
“The NCE has been focusing on grooming the upcoming
juniors since its inception and hosting a senior team camp here will also allow
the juniors an opportunity to learn from the country’s finest while also
providing India’s top talents to train together and create an ideal environment
of team bonding ahead of this big team event,” said Badminton Association of
India secretary general Sanjay Mishra.
“In addition to the technical skills that will be
imparted, the camp is designed to strengthen values of discipline, teamwork,
and sportsmanship among the team members. The players will have a complete
development experience that prepares them for the challenges ahead,” he added.
Sindhu will be looking to make a fresh start on the
international circuit after her marriage in December last year. She will be
training with the team at the state-of-the-art NCE facility in Guwahati.
Satwik and Chirag, too, will be aiming to avail the
benefits of training in a new environment to foster team cohesion. Engagement
between all the members, strategising, and creating a strong team dynamic will
be key to their success in the upcoming team events.
