Subhechcha Ganguly 
India’s top female badminton player, PV Sindhu, is aiming to regain her form after a disappointing exit at the Paris Olympics in August. The future of women’s singles in Indian badminton has been a hot topic, especially following Sindhu’s early exit in the Round of 16 at the Olympics. The 29-year-old has returned to action since the setback but has struggled to reach her peak performance. Last month, she was knocked out in the quarterfinals at the Denmark Open, and just last week, she lost in the Round of 16 at the China Masters, following a second-round defeat at the Japan Masters the week before.
After slipping to world No. 19, P.V. Sindhu will look to regain her form and seek home advantage as she targets a third title at the Syed Modi India International, beginning Tuesday at the Uttar Pradesh Badminton Academy courts. With a relatively weak field, she faces limited serious competition, with India’s Malvika Bansod, ranked No. 36, as the second seed. The 32-player draw also includes 13 lower-ranked international players in this Super 300 event.
Sindhu’s first match will be against 17-year-old Anmol Kharb, a promising talent who has impressed this year by winning the Belgium and Poland International Challenge titles.
Malvika Bansod, the 2022 runner-up, will also be a strong contender. Other players to watch include third seed Aakarshi Kashyap, sixth seed Rakshitha Sree Santhosh Ramraj, and fifth seed Anupama Upadhyaya, all of whom are aiming to make their mark in the tournament.
