Top Indian badminton players withdraw from BWF Japan Open
India's premier badminton players, PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen, HS Prannoy, and the men's doubles team of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have pulled out of the upcoming BWF Japan Open. The tournament is set to commence on August 24 and marks the first significant badminton event post the 2024 Paris Olympics. Despite these withdrawals, defending champion Axelsen, fresh from his second Olympic gold win, will participate in the tournament.
Defending champions to participate
The Badminton World Federation (BWF) confirmed on Tuesday that Axelsen, who recently clinched his second Olympic gold, will be among the star attractions at the tournament. Axelsen is one of three defending champions participating; the others include women's doubles team Kim So Yeong/Kong Hee Yong and mixed doubles pair Yuta Watanabe/Arisa Higashino. However, other defending champions An Se Young and Lee Yang/Wang Chi-Lin, also recent Olympic gold winners, will not be attending the Japan Open.
Notable withdrawals from the BWF Japan Open
Several other high-profile players have also withdrawn from the tournament, including Olympic champions Zheng Si Wei/Huang Ya Qiong, Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik, Chen Yu Fei, and Apriyani Rahayu/Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti. Two-time champion Carolina Marin and Feng Yan Zhe/Huang Dong Ping have also opted out of the competition. Despite these absences, there is still a strong lineup expected to compete in all categories.
Strong lineup expected despite high-profile withdrawals
Despite the high-profile withdrawals, the tournament still boasts a strong lineup. In men's singles, Shi Yu Qi, Jonatan Christie, Anders Antonsen, Kodai Naraoka and Kunlavut Vitidsarn are expected to compete. Akane Yamaguchi, Wang Zhi Yi and Gregoria Mariska Tunjung will participate in women's singles. The men's doubles will see world champions Seo Seung Jae/Kang Min Hyuk vying for their first Japan Open title.
