New Delhi: Badminton stars Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu and K. Srikanth have the entire nation’s hopes pinned on them on breaking the 18-year old jinx by winning at the All England Badminton Championships, starting on Wednesday.
Saina and Sindhu’s Coach and also current chief national coach P. Gopichand was the last Indian to win the tournament way back in 2001.
Only the top-32 in the Badminton World Federation (BWF) rankings qualify for the tournament and out of them, only three Indians have been seeded — the other being K. Srikanth (seventh) in the men’s event.
Fifth seed Sindhu will square off against former World No. 2 Sung Ji Hyun of South Korea at the $1 million events while Saina, seeded eighth, will start her campaign against Scotland’s Kristy Gilmour.
Gopichand has pinned his hopes on Saina, Sindhu and Srikanth. He feels the trio has what it takes to end the country’s long wait for the trophy.
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