Saina looks to gain valuable experience before Olympics

Saina to play in All England Championship which starts in Birmingham tomorrow.

Star Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal will look to gather some valuable experience for London Olympics preparation when she starts her campaign at the All England Championship,which begins with the qualifiers in Birmingham tomorrow.

The National Indoor Arena at Birmingham will also host the badminton competition during the London Games,which starts from July 27,and Saina will look to get a feel of the conditions.

The 21-year-old had reached the semifinals during the 2010 edition of the championship but her journey was cut short in the quarterfinals last year by Japanese Eriko Hirose. Saina,however will look to do better this year.

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The draw has also panned out quite favourable as she opens her campaign against a qualifier. The fourth seed Indian is expected to reach at least the quarterfinals of the event.

Seventh seed Xuerui Li is the only seeded Chinese player in her quarterfinal road but if she wishes to reach the semifinals,the Indian will have to beat world number two Xin Wang,besides the eighth seed German Juliane Schenk.

In the men’s singles,Commonwealth Games bronze medallist P Kashyap will open his campaign against Marc Zwiebler and with just five months to go for the Olympics,the Indian would quickly look to find his lost touch.