Mumbai
India’s best sportspeople are gearing up for the Asian Games 2018 and fans are quietly confident of a good showing from the leading athletes in the mega-event that commences from August 18 in Indonesia.
One sport that fans believe will bring in a rich haul of medals is badminton. The fact that India’s only ever singles medal in the event was won by Syed Modi in 1982 reflects just how abundant India’s talent pool is in 2018.
However, one of India’s all-time badminton greats Prakash Padukone has issued a warning that winning a singles medal of any colour will be no cakewalk.
“It will be tough to win a medal in the Asian Games because most of the top badminton playing nations are in Asia and all of them are preparing very hard for the event,” Padukone said on the sidelines of the Junior Badminton Championship finals on August 7.
“It’s also happening so close to the World Championship so it’s difficult for any player to prepare for two such important events in such a short time.
“It will be tough for the Indian players to win a medal but it won’t be impossible; it will depend on how the players peak during that week.”
One of the biggest medal hopes in badminton is undoubtedly PV Sindhu, who at the age of 23 is already one of the top players in the women’s singles circuit.
However, her recent loss to Carolina Marin in the final of the BWF World Championship was her fourth loss in the summit clash of a tournament this year.
