2024 Paris Olympics Badminton: Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto placed in Group C alongside Tokyo bronze medalists

The draw for the women's doubles at the Paris Olympics has been announced, and India's Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto have been placed with a tricky bunch.

The duo is a part of Group C, which is also home to third seeds Nami Matsuyama/Chiharu Shida, Tokyo bronze medalists Kim So-yeong/Kong Hee-yong, and Australia’s Setyana Mapasa/Angela Yu.

To get past the group stage and into the quarterfinals, Ponnappa and Crasto will have to get the better of at least two pairs. Their best chances of a win are against Setyana Mapasa and Angela Yu. The Australian duo are currently ranked 27th in the world, with the Indians ranked nearly 10 positions higher.

Both the Japanese pair of Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida as well as the Korean duo of medalists Kim So-yeong and Kong Hee-yong pose an overwhelming threat to India's dream of a podium finish in the women's doubles.

Ponnappa and Crasto battled Matsuyama and Shida at the Badminton Asia Championships earlier this year, losing 17-21, 12-21. They are yet to clash swords with So-yeong and Hee-yong on the BWF World Tour Circuit.

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Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto on qualifying for the Paris Olympics

When Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto paired up in January 2023, the Paris Olympics seemed like a distant dream for the duo. They had little over a year to get near the top of the rankings and had only just begun playing together.

However, 18 months later the two are ranked 19th in the world and will be playing at the Adidas Arena in Paris just a few weeks from now. For Ponnappa, these are her third Games, and she's excited to make it count.

“I’m super grateful and excited to be heading for my third Olympics. The mindset is basically doing everything I can to do my best and to make this Olympics a memorable one,” Ponnappa told Forbes in an interview.

On the other hand, the Paris Olympics will make Crasto’s debut at the Games, and she’s lasered in on making it one of her best performances.

“As it’s my first Olympics, there’s a whole set of mixed emotions. I am super excited. There are going to be many people rallying behind me. My goal is to go out there and be the best version of myself and put up the best possible performance that I can,” she said in the same interview.

Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto's campaign at the Paris Olympics will begin on July 27 with their group stage matches.