India's top shuttlers Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu, Jwala Gutta, Ashwini Ponnappa and Kidambi Srikanth will attract serious attention in Rio today
Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu, Jwala Gutta, Ashwini Ponnappa and Kidambi Srikanth
Rio de Janeiro: Amidst the creases of worries that are beginning to become more prominent by the hour, Saina Nehwal, one of the four Indian Olympic medallists at these Games, takes the stage today in the women's singles.
Saina Nehwal
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The one-time World No 1, but currently World No 5, Saina Nehwal, won a bronze in 2012, when her Chinese opponent conceded midway through because of an injury.
Saina's mood is buouyant, as was evidenced by her selfie with Novak Djokovic in the Olympic Village.
PV Sindhu
Accompanied by her coach, Vimal Kumar, she has kept a low profile, stayed out of the way and reach of the media and been finding her paces in a steady manner.
India has seven shuttlers, the largest ever badminton team for India. Saina, seeded fifth, meets local Brazilian, Lohanny Vicente, who will have the crowd rooting for her.
Jwala Gutta
Saina said, "I take each tournament as it comes. My approach to the Games is very positive and I would like to keep it like that and focus on my game. I feel that on the day that I am 100 percent fit, I have the potential to defeat anyone."
"I feel I am fit. It's important that you reach the peak and play your best during that particular week. That's what will count ultimately and will be the key."
Ashwini Ponnappa
PV Sindhu, the only two time World Championship medallist from India, is seeded ninth and she has Michelle Li of Canada and Laura Sarosi of Hungary in her Group M. Sindhu makes her Olympic debut against Sarosi in Group M an hour before Saina takes court against Vicente.
Kidambi Srikanth will be India's star campaigner in men's singles. He meets Henri Hurskeinen of Sweden and Lino Munoz of Mexico in his group.
Kidambi Srikanth
Women's doubles pairs of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa have a tough task, as they will face top seeds, Ayaka Takahashi and Misaki Matsutomo in the group stages.
The men's doubles team of Manu Attri and Sumeth Reddy will also be in action. But they have a tough draw against second seeds Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan of Indonesia.
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