India’s top badminton players are set to compete at the BWF Japan Open Super 750 starting at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium on Tuesday. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will lead India’s campaign, with the tournament offering a prize purse of USD 950,000. The event holds significance as players aim to secure crucial ranking points ahead of the upcoming World Championships in New Delhi and the Asian Games.
Satwik and Chirag, ranked fourth globally, are making their comeback after Satwik’s shoulder injury at the Indonesia Open in June. The duo, former Asian Games champions, missed four tournaments following the setback, interrupting their winning momentum from the Singapore Open in May. Seeded third, they will face Denmark’s Mads Vestergaard and Daniel Lundgaard in their opening match.
In the men’s doubles category, India’s challenge includes MR Arjun and Hariharan Amsakarunan, who come to Tokyo following consecutive quarter-final finishes in Indonesia and Australia. Lakshya Sen returns for the men’s singles event, starting against Japan’s Kenta Watanabe, while Ayush Shetty encounters former world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand in the first round.
PV Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medalist, will kick off her campaign against Malaysia’s Wong Ling Ching after her semi-final appearance at the Australian Open last month. Youngster Unnati Hooda will face Chinese Taipei’s Huang Yu-Hsun in the opening round. India’s mixed doubles hopes rest on Tanisha Crasto and Dhruv Kapila, and Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde, while Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand Pullela withdrew from the women’s doubles event.
The tournament features top names in badminton, including world No. 1 Shi Yu Qi, Anders Antonsen, Kunlavut Vitidsarn, and Kodai Naraoka in men’s singles. Defending champion An Se Young, Wang Zhi Yi, Chen Yu Fei, and four-time winner Akane Yamaguchi headline the women’s draw. India aims to clinch its first Japan Open title and gain momentum for the upcoming major badminton events.
