India Open Badminton 2020: Saina and Sindhu face a tough challenge; tournament remains under scanner due to coronavirus flare-up

What’s the story?

Former world number 1, Saina Nehwal and Rio Olympics silver medallist P.V. Sindhu are set to face tough competition at the upcoming India Open, though the fate of the tournament lies under a cloud of uncertainty due to the 29 coronavirus cases detected in the country.

In case you did not know

The 2020 India open is to be held from March 24-29 in New Delhi’s K.D. Jadhav Indoor Hall. The Badminton Association of India with sanctions from the Badminton World Federation (BWF) organizes the tournament.

The heart of the matter

Sindhu who was the winner of the 2017 India Open will face Hong Kong's Cheung Ngan Yi in the first round and is expected to compete against seventh seed Michelle Li of Canada in the quarter-finals.

Saina, who had won the title in 2015, is set to begin her campaign against Chinese Taipei's Pai Yu Po and she would probably face eight-seeded Korean Sung Ji Hyun in the second round.

In men's singles B Sai Praneeth, who has nearly booked his place in the Olympics, faces compatriot HS Prannoy in the opening round.

What's next?

With the tournament under scanner due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Badminton Association of India (BAI) is coordinating with the government and it needs to be seen if the status of the tournament, a key event in the Tokyo Olympic qualification, get altered given the present-day scenario.

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