Indian face a tough opening at world meet

Indian shuttlers have their task cut-out at the World Badminton Championship starting in Birmingham tomorrow, as they strive to prove their ...

Indian shuttlers have their task cut-out at the World Badminton Championship starting in Birmingham tomorrow, as they strive to prove their mettle against the world’s best and seal a berth for next year’s Athens Olympics.

In the absence of 2001 All England champion Pullela Gopichand, who did not qualify for the tournament under the new eligibility format, national champion Abhinn Shyam Gupta and south-paw Nikhil Kanetkar would try to make a mark in the game’s flagship event.

But the duo has been a bit unlucky as a change in the initial draw, due to an embarrassing software error, saw them pitted against tough opponents in the very first round.

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While Gupta faces third seed and last edition’s bronze medallist Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia, Kanetkar will take on 1997 world champion Peter Rasmussen of Denmark in the openers.

In the women’s section, national champion Aparna Popat runs into world number 25 from Hong Kong, Wan Ting Ling, in the opening round. In the two times they met before, Aparna has beaten her once and lost once.

But chief coach Vimal Kumar is realistic about his team’s prospects and confident of a good showing. ‘‘If the men’s players enter the quarterfinals and the women’s players make the last 16, I think it can be considered a good achievement,’’ Vimal Kumar said after a two-week camp in Bangalore.

The championship also provides the players a chance to gather crucial ranking points in their Athens Olympics qualification campaign, which ends on April 30, 2004.

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Trupti Murgunde, a last minute inclusion in the women’s singles draw, has a relatively easier opponent compared to her teammate as she takes on Spain’s Dolores Marco in the first round.

The players, before leaving for the event, had expressed confidene of causing some upsets and improving their position to stake their claims for the Olympic berth.

‘‘I am playing pretty good. It is a tough draw but I will give my best,’’ Kanetkar, who is playing his maiden world championship, said.

Gupta, who was beaten by Hidayat 1-7, 1-7, 2-7 at the Singapore Open two years ago, can also take heart from the fact that this time he will play the indonesian under the 15-point format, which the Indian prefers.

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‘‘I am prepared for it. I will give more than 100 per cent but it all depends on the day,’’ said the 24-year old.

In the men’s doubles, Jaseel P Ismail and Jaison Xavier will sqaure up against the ninth seeded pair of Tadashi Ohtsuka and Keita Masuda of Japan while V Diju and Sanave Thomas will take on Sudket Prapakomal and Patapol Ngernsrisuk of Thailand.

In the women’s doubles, Shruti Kurian and Jwala Gutta will play Johanna Persson and Elin Bergblom of Sweden.