In a jolt to Indian hopes of a doubles medal at the Rio Olympics, Mathias Boe — Danish badminton player who is one of the world's leading shuttlers in the men's pairs event — has opined that India's premier women's combine of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa will find it extremely difficult to pull off the vaunted feat
Danish shuttler Mathias Boe
New Delhi: In a jolt to Indian hopes of a doubles medal at the Rio Olympics, Mathias Boe — Danish badminton player who is one of the world's leading shuttlers in the men's pairs event — has opined that India's premier women's combine of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa will find it extremely difficult to pull off the vaunted feat.
Danish shuttler Mathias Boe
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Though chances of a medal win are high from the Saina Nehwal-led singles contingent, 2011 World Championship bronze medallists Jwala-Ashwini remain the only realistic hope for India in the women's doubles.
Asked if he sees India clinching a badminton Olympic medal in doubles, the current World No 4 Dane replied: "No! In women's doubles there are way too many pairs who are better than Jwala-Ashwini. They are just below the 8-9 best pairs in the world but can definitely beat them once in a while. For them to reach the semi-finals, they need to beat two top pairs... and that is something really difficult."
There are no Indian pairs in the top-25 of mixed doubles in the world. Commonwealth Games 2010 champions Jwala and Ashwini are the only Indians in women's top-25 at No 14.
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