Paris Olympics: Who Are PV Sindhu and HS Prannoy Facing in Badminton Singles Matches Today? Know All About Their Rivals

Indian badminton stars PV Sindhu, HS Prannoy, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty, Ashwini Ponnappa, and Tanisha Crasto will all be in action on Sunday, July 28 in the Paris Olympics. Ahead of their games, let us take a look at their opponents.

Two-time Olympic Gold medalist PV Sindhu will begin her Paris 2024 campaign against Maldives' Fathimath Nabaaha Abdul Razzaq. Razzaq is currently ranked 111th in the world in women's singles badminton.

She also secured a spot in the Paris Olympics by excelling in the Asian qualifiers. Razzaq had a notable performance at the Maldives International Challenge, where she reached the semifinals. Her previous encounter with Sindhu at the 2022 Commonwealth Games resulted in a decisive victory for Sindhu.

PV Sindhu, seeded 10th, will face Razzaq in the group stages, along with Estonia's Kristin Kuuba. With her experience and higher ranking, Sindhu is expected to win, but underestimating Razzaq could be a mistake.

HS Prannoy is set to debut in the Olympics and Paris 2024 Olympics and will commence his campaign against Germany's Fabian Roth. Prannoy is ranked 13 in men's singles, while Roth is ranked 82. Roth, known for his agility and tactical play, has been part of the European badminton circuit for several years, though he has not yet broken into the top ranks globally.

Roth has had a consistent year, with solid showings in European circuits. He reached the quarterfinals at the German Open and the semifinals at the Danish International, securing his Olympic spot through consistent performances in the European qualifiers.

Indian pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, who began their with a win over the French duo of Lucas Corvee and Ronan Labar 21-17, 21-14, will face Germany pair of Mark Lamsfuss and Marvin Seidel in yet another Group C game.

The German pair has had a mixed year. They reached the finals at the European Championships but fell short in the semifinals at the Korea Open. Their journey to the Olympics was confirmed through consistent performances in the European circuit and solid finishes in several international tournaments​. However, the Indian duo, with their aggressive play and synergy, are expected to have an edge in this encounter.

Lastly, the women's doubles pair of Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto lost 18-21, 10-21 to Kim So Yeong and Kong Hee Yong will play the Japanese duo of Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida. Their victory over Ponnappa and Crasto at the Badminton Asia Championships 2024 was a testament to their superior game strategy and coordination.

Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida have been in stellar form throughout 2024, demonstrating their dominance in women's doubles. One of their significant victories this year was at the prestigious All-England Open. Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida reached the finals but eventually lost to Baek Ha Na and Lee So Hee.

Their performance at the Singapore Open 2024 further solidified their reputation. They faced off against Chen Qing Chen and Jia Yi Fan, another top-tier pair, in a thrilling match. The French Open 2024 also saw Matsuyama and Shida in action, where they competed against Lambert/Tran in the Round of 32

Meta- PV Sindhu, HS Prannoy kick off their Paris 2024 campaign against Fathimath Razzaq, Fabian Roth on 28 July, Satwik-Chirag, Ashwini Ponnappa, and Tanisha Crasto play their second game

Keywords- PV Sindhu, HS Prannoy, Fathimath Razzaq, Fabian Roth, Satwik-Chirag, Ashwini Ponnappa, Tanisha Crasto