Sudirman Cup squad is a balanced one with right mix of youth and experience, says coach Mishra

India’s Sudirman Cup squad is a balanced one with the right mix of youth and experience, said coach Sanjay Mishra on Tuesday. Indian coach Mishra will accompany the 12-member team to Finland.

The Sudirman Cup will be played in Vantaa, Finland, from September 26 to October 3, 2021. The Indian team will leave for Finland late on Tuesday night.

Mishra will be assisted by two foreign coaches, Agus Dwi Santosa and Dwi Kristiawan during the biennial mixed team championship. Both Agus Dwi Santosa and Dwi Kristiawan are Indonesian coaches. While Santosa is for singles, Kristiawan is for doubles. Mishra will be part of the three-coach panel for the Sudirman Cup.

The ten-day long national camp, which began in Hyderabad on September 12, concluded on Tuesday, informed Mishra.

“Indian team is a mixture of youth and experience. I think we have a balanced squad. It is capable of producing a strong performance in Finland. There are several experienced players in the team who will spearhead the side. Youngsters in the squad might be inexperienced but they are quite talented,” said Mishra while talking to Sportskeeda prior to the Indian team’s departure.

The team was chosen after a five-day selection trial held earlier this month at the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy in Hyderabad.

“The team had a wonderful preparatory camp under the guidance of chief national coach Pullela Gopichand for the last ten days. We tried different doubles combinations during the training sessions. The camp served a dual purpose of team bonding and quality practice among the players. All the players are feeling good and raring to go,” said Mishra.

The chief junior national coach did not think much about the absence of Indian badminton queens Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu. Both Sindhu and Saina opted to skip the tournament for personal reasons.

Good chance for Malvika and Aditi in the absence of Saina-Sindhu: Mishra

It is a rare occasion in recent history that both Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu have not been part of the Indian team for a major tournament.

Indian team coach Sanjay Mishra

“There is no doubt that Saina and Sindhu are legendary players and we would have definitely liked to have at least one of them in the side. However, we have to look at the positive side of it.

The absence of both seasoned campaigners will provide a golden opportunity for players like Malvika Bansod and Aditi Bhatt to showcase their talent at the highest level. Irrespective of the results, both Malvika and Aditi will learn a lot from representing their country in the prestigious Sudirman Cup,” said Mishra.

The Indian team consists of experienced shuttlers like B Sai Praneeth, Kidambi Srikanth, Ashwini Ponnappa and N Sikki Reddy. World No. 10 pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty are now a formidable unit.

Another doubles combination, Dhruv Kapila and MR Arjun, can perform well if given a chance.

All eyes will be on 20-year-old Nagpur shuttler Malvika Bansod. The left-hander earned her place in the side on the basis of her impressive showing in the selection trials. She remained unbeaten throughout the competition.

India No. 2 Malvika will be playing a crucial women’s singles in the absence of Sindhu and Saina.

Aditi Bhatt of Uttarakhand also excelled in the trials. She surprised higher-ranked players like Aakarshi Kashyap and Ashmita Chaliha to secure a spot as the second singles player.

Goa’s Tanisha Crasto and Rutaparna Panda of Orissa are looked at as a future women’s doubles combination. They have the potential to serve the national team for many years.

“I am happy with the composition of the team. Given the circumstances, the national selectors have chosen the best side. I am confident that we will be able to put up a good show in Finland,” said Mishra.

India have been drawn with defending champions China, three-time semi-finalists Thailand and hosts Finland in Group A of the Sudirman Cup Finals.