Tamil Nadu badminton players eye SaarLorLux Open, Super 100 event, abroad
Indeed, even as the top badminton players are avoiding the international meets due to Covid-19, youthful shuttlers are happy to go the additional mile. Three players from Tamil Nadu — S Sankar Muthusamy, Anirudh J, and SS Lakshmi Priyanka — are looking to partake in the SaarLorLux Open (Super 100 event). It is planned to be held from October 27 to November 1 in Saarbrucken, Germany.
The Badminton Federation of India (BFI) has sent their names and entries will be out on Friday. On the off chance that they are selected, they will be the first set of shuttlers from the state to play a competitive game abroad since the lockdown.
Whenever selected, it will be the first Super 100 event for the teenage trio. Among the three, Sankar — positioned 324 in the world — was likewise in the primary draw of the Lingshui China Masters (Super 100) that was initially scheduled for February and got cancelled because of the pandemic. The 16-year-old is likewise in the TOPS improvement group. He is upheld by GoSports Foundation and promoted as the next big player. Anirudh is positioned 433 and Priyanka, additionally Sankar’s elder sister, is 407th in the women’s singles.
“The situation is better in Europe and that’s why we felt players could take part in an event in Germany,” said Aravindan Samiappan, Chennai District Badminton Association secretary and coach of Sankar and Lakshmi. “Even though Anirudh and Priyanka are ranked above 400, they might get a shot at playing a Super 100 event since many players are withdrawing.”
With players world exaggerating in particular competitions, these shuttlers feel it could be a chance to improve their rankings. Both Sankar and Lakshmi have played many international events in Bangladesh, Dubai and Bahrain a year ago. Anirudh’s solitary international meet was the Iran Fajr Challenge in February this year.
“At some point, we need to start playing competitive matches. For me, it’s about improving my rankings. I was hoping to break into top-100 this year,” said Sankar, who took part in last year’s Asia Junior Championships.
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