Hyderabad ready to take on opponents in Premier Badminton League.
The Hyderabad Hunters players and support staff strike a pose after the team was unveiled in Hyderabad on Thursday. (Photo: DC)
Hyderabad: Led by resurgent Malaysian superstar Lee Chong Wei and bolstered by homegrown stars Parupalli Kashyap and Jwala Gutta, the Hyderabad Hunters are geared up for primetime at the Premier Badminton League, set to get underway in a little over a week in Mumbai. Speaking at the team announcement in Hyderabad on Sunday, Commonwealth Games champion Kashyap said he was thrilled to be a part of the team from his hometown. “I’m very happy to be a part of the Hyderabad Hunters. At the Indian Badminton League, I had represented Bengaluru, so I’m excited to be a part of the Hyderabad team this time. I’m looking forward to this tournament.”
The 29-year-old said he expects the PBL to be an absorbing affair. “There will be many exciting matches. I’ve been the No.1 player from India for a long time, and I hope I can prove my credentials at PBL. I’ve been out of action due to an injury but I’m fit now. I’ve been training hard and I hope to be in good form.” On whom he relishes facing the most, Kashyap promptly said: “I would love to face-off against K. Srikanth, H.S. Prannoy and others. We are are in a tight race to qualify for the Olympics. So that will spice up our matches.”
The Hunters’ coach J. Rajendra said he expected Hyderabad to win the League, replicating the exploits of the Hotshots at the now-defunct IBL. “We have a good chance this year as we have great players like Lee Chong Wei, Markis Kido, Carsten Mogensen and others apart from Kashyap. We also have youngsters who’ve been performing well in national as well as international tournaments. We have Siril who won a silver at the Junior World Championships, Satwik who did well at the Asian Badminton Championships and Meghana, who’s been doing well on the national circuit,” Rajendra said.
Chong Wei’s presence in the side will make a world of difference, according to Kashyap. “Bagging Lee was the best thing that could have happened to the team. He’s in great form. We played each other several times and we’ve become good friends. It’ll help the juniors to watch him play and train alongside him,” Kashyap said. Meghana Jakkampudi, who is the daughter of coach Rajendra, said: “Last time I represented the Banga Beats, but I always wanted to be in my dad’s team, and this time that was made possible. I hope Hyderabad win the title this time around.”
The overseas players are expected to join the Hunters directly in Mumbai towards the end of this month. They begin their campaign against Bengaluru Top Guns on January 3 in Mumbai before travelling to Delhi. They will play their home games from January 9 to 11.
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( Source : deccan chronicle )
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