Qingdao: A depleted Indian women’s side will face an uphill task in defending its crown without talisman PV Sindhu, while the men will bank on a seasoned core to mount a strong podium challenge at the Badminton Asia Team Championships beginning here on Tuesday.
India had scripted history by clinching their maiden women’s team gold in the last edition in Malaysia, but Sindhu’s withdrawal due to a niggle has dealt a significant blow to their medal hopes.
The absence of the two-time Olympic medallist leaves the younger crop, led by Tanvi Sharma, with the responsibility of carrying the campaign.
The 17-year-old from Punjab was part of the champion team in 2024 although she didn’t get to play any games. In two years, Tanvi has emerged as the next big hope in women’s singles with a silver medal at World Junior Championships in Guwahati, and a final finish at the US Open Super 300.
She made a rollicking start to the season, pushing World No. 2 Wang Zhi Yi and World No. 9 Tomoka Miyazaki to deciders at the India Open and Indonesia Masters, proving she can compete with the world’s best.
Unnati Hooda, 18, too is coming into the tournament after a successful 2025 season where she achieved a career-high world ranking of No. 23 and defeated Sindhu at the China Open. The youngest Indian ever to win a BWF Super 100 title, Unnati ended 2025 with a title at the Odisha Masters.
The singles duties will also now rest on Malvika Bansod and Rakshitha Sree Santhosh Ramraj, while Commonwealth Games bronze medallists Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly.agencies