The Yonex-Sunrise India Open 2025 brings with it a renewed sense of hope, not just for Indian badminton but also for its passionate fans who never fail to pack the KD Jadhav Indoor Hall in New Delhi, despite the cold. Every year, the tournament is a reminder of the electric connection between the shuttlers and the crowd.
For Indian fans, badminton is more than just a sport, it’s personal. Throughout the tournament, they cheer for their shuttlers with unshakeable belief, chanting names, waving flags and creating a sea of energy that the players draw their strength from. This edition of the tournament is special – with 21 Indian players, the largest ever contingent taking the court. With Tan Kim Her back on the sidelines, there’s a sense of collective redemption, especially in front of a packed home crowd.
Reflecting on India Open 2024
The 2024 edition of the India Open was a hit among spectators but it presented a bag of mixed results that left everyone bitter-sweet. In the Men’s Singles category, HS Prannoy delivered a commendable performance despite health issues and advanced to the semi-finals. On the other hand, Lakshya Sen who impressed everyone at the Olympics, faced an early exit, losing out to countrymate Priyanshu Rajawat in a hard-fought match that ended 16-21, 21-16, 21-13.
Fan-favourite duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty rallied fans as they emerged as the standout performers for India. As the stands packed for a sold out Finals night, Sat-Chi faced South Korea’s Kang Min Hyuk and Seo Seung Jae in the summit clash, and despite a valiant effort, the Indian pair fell short with scores of 21-15, 11-21, 18-21.
Meanwhile the women’s doubles pairs of Gayatri Gopichand-Treesa Jolly and Ashwini Ponappa-Tanisha Crasto both faced a first round exit and brought an early end to their journey. Whereas, PV Sindhu had opted out of the tournament owing to an injury
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Anticipation for India Open 2025
Alongside Indian badminton stars, fans are all set for an electrifying experience as Viktor Axelsen – who was not a part of the tournament last time around, An Se Young and world no.1 Shi Yqui are set to take part.
Here’s a look at the Indian contingent:
- Men’s Singles: Lakshya Sen, HS Prannoy, and Priyanshu Rajawat.
- Women’s Singles: PV Sindhu, Malvika Bansod, Anupama Upadhyaya, and Aakarshi Kashyap.
- Men’s Doubles: Chirag Shetty/Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and K Sai Pratheek/Pruthvi K Roy.
- Women’s Doubles: Treesa Jolly/Gayatri Gopichand, Ashwini Ponnappa/Tanisha Crasto, among others.
- Mixed Doubles: Dhruv Kapila/Tanisha Crasto, K Sathish Kumar/Aadya Variyath, and more.
Return of Tan Kim Her
In what is considered to be a ‘reboot’ for Indian badminton, the return of Malaysian coach Tan Kim Her is raising excitement. Apart from working closely with Sat-Chi, Tan Kim Her’s experience will also benefit other doubles pairs. His focus will be on enhancing India’s performance in doubles, especially with the Sudirman Cup on the horizon. Indonesian coach Irwansyah also joins the ranks as India’s singles coach. He brings revived optimism having previously worked with top players like Jonathan Christie and Anthony Sinisuka Ginting.
The lessons from India Open 2024 will serve as a foundation for Indian shuttlers to build on and target podium finishes, but this time around, as the tournament unfolds, fans and analysts alike will keenly observe how Indian badminton continues to evolve on home soil. Adding to the excitement is the presence of global badminton superstars, including fan-favourite Axelsen, South Korean An Se Young, as well as World No. 1 Yuqi.
Also Read: Treesa-Gayatri: India’s Rising Stars in Women’s Doubles Badminton become World No. 9
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