Newly-crowned World champion Loh Kean Yew along with the silver and bronze medallists Kidambi Srikanth and Lakshya Sen and the two-time Olympics medallist PV Sindhu will be the top draw at India Open 2022 scheduled from January 11-16 in New Delhi.
A USD 400,000 prize money tournament is part of the HSBC BWF World Tour Super 500. Singapore's Kean Yew, who created history in Huelva, Spain recently by becoming the first-ever unseeded player in the open era to win the World Championships, will lead the international line-up at the 2022 BWF season opener.
The former World No. 1 Srikanth has been named the top seed in the men's singles category followed by the 2019 World Championships bronze medallist B Sai Praneeth. Sen, the youngest Indian male shuttler to clinch the World Championships medal, HS Pronnoy, Parupalli Kashyap and Sameer Verma are among the other Indian participants alongside experienced Tommy Sugiarto from Indonesia.
The World No. 7 Sindhu has been given the top seed in women's singles category which includes the London Olympics bronze medallist Saina Nehwal, who lifted the title in 2015 edition, alongside other young Indian shuttlers including Malvika Bansod, Aakarshi Kashyap and Ashmita Chaliha. While among the top international participating names are World No. 12 Busanan Ongbamrungphan of Thailand and Singapore's Jia Min Yeo.
Country's star pair of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy will be the key attraction in the men's doubles category. However, they are set to face a stiff competition as the line-up includes the three-time world champion and World No. 2 Indonesian pair of Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan alongside another Indonesian duo of Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto, who are currently ranked eighth in the world.
In the women's doubles, the World No. 9 pair of Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai from Thailand will be among the top names as Ashwini Ponappa and N Sikki Reddy will lead the Indian challenge alongside pair of Gayatri P and Treesa Jolly. The mixed doubles competition will also witness participation of three Top-20 pairs.
The 11th edition of the World Tour Super 500 tournament, which is all set to make a return after a two-year break due to COVID-19 pandemic, will be played at the KD Jadhav Indoor Hall at the Indira Gandhi Stadium under strict COVID protocols and without spectators.
( With inputs from ANI )
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