IANS Interview: Indian shuttlers playing to their potential; real challenge begins for Sindhu, says Prakash Padukone

Paris, Aug 1 (IANS) Indian badminton legend and coach Prakash Padukone has lauded Indian shuttler's performance in the ongoing 2024 Olympics, saying they are playing to their potential but admitted that "the real challenge" awaits the two-time medallist PV Sindhu in the knockouts after a relatively easy draw in the group stage .

With three singles and two doubles pairs - India fielded its joint-biggest badminton team of seven shuttlers at the Paris Games. India had also sent seven shuttlers for the Rio 2016 Olympics.

In Paris, all three singles players in men's and women's categories -- Lakshya Sen, HS Prannoy and PV Sindhu -- and men's doubles duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty made it to the pre-quarterfinals of the competitions.

"They are doing well, playing to their potential, playing as per their form. We have had the group matches, so they have done well and all of them have qualified for the knockout stage and hopefully we should get a medal in badminton," Padukone told IANS in India House in Paris.

In the men's singles, Sen made it to the last-16 stage with a win over third-seeded Indonesian Jonatan Christie in a do-or-die match after his victory in the opening group game against Kevin Cordon was deleted, following the injury withdrawal of the Guatemalan shuttler.

While Prannoy made it to the pre-quarterfinals after beating Vietnam's Le Duc Phat in three-gamer, to set up a round-of-16 clash with Sen. It is the first time in Olympic history that two Indians are directly up against each other in a badminton knockout match.

In the head-to-head matchup, Sen holds a slight 4-3 advantage over Prannoy. Speaking about the clash, Padukone said it's really tough to say who will advance as the two shuttlers have played each other before and know each other's game really well.

"It is difficult to say who will win because both of them know each other's game and they have played each other. Each has beaten the other. I think it would all depend on the day's current form. It depends on whoever plays well, who is able to handle pressure, I think, will go through," said the 69-year-old.

Meanwhile, Sindhu, who is eyeing her third successive Olympic medal, has sailed into the knockouts after topping her group. But Padukone, who is also Sindhu's mentor, believes that the ace shuttler will now face strong competition ahead.

Two-time medallist Sindhu will play against Chinese shuttler He Bing Jiao, whom she defeated in the Tokyo Olympics bronze medal match.

"Well, so far, Sindhu's group has been easy. She has not had any tough matches. The real challenge begins. She is also qualified for the knockout stage (in the last 16 stage, the pre-quarterfinals)," said Padukone.

"She's got a tough match against He Bing Jiao, the Chinese number two, so they've also beaten each other. So, she is in fairly good form but it remains to be seen whether she is able to reproduce that form and if she is able to do that, what she has displayed in the last one or two days and in the practice, I think she will do well," he concluded.

Since the sport made its Olympic debut at Barcelona in 1992, India have won three medals in badminton, courtesy of Sindhu (silver at Rio 2016 and bronze at Tokyo 2020) and Saina Nehwal (bronze at London 2012).

Notably, all three medals have come in women's singles.

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