Lakshya Sen and PV Sindhu handed tough Asian Games badminton draws while defending champions Satwik-Chirag get easier path

Individual competition opens with contrasting draws

India's top shuttlers received the individual competition brackets for the Asian Games in Nagoya, with the schedule announced on Thursday and play beginning on Friday. Lakshya Sen and PV Sindhu were placed on demanding paths, while defending men's doubles champions Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty drew a relatively easier route to the semifinals. India had already secured a badminton medal at the Games, with the men's team winning bronze.

Lakshya Sen's projected path runs through former and current world champions

Lakshya Sen has been given a bye in the men's singles opening round, but his second-round opponent is likely to be former world champion Loh Kean Yew, who has also received a bye. If Sen advances, the world No. 14 could face world No. 1 Jonatan Christie of Indonesia in the quarterfinals. Ayush Shetty has also been granted a first-round bye, with a likely third-round test against Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei.

Sindhu faces Tokyo Olympic champion in projected quarterfinal

PV Sindhu has received a first-round bye in women's singles and is expected to progress to a quarterfinal against Tokyo Olympics champion Chen Yufei. Unnati Hooda will open her campaign against North Korea's Yu Mi Song, with a possible third-round matchup against world No. 6 Putri Kusuma Wardani of Indonesia if she advances.

Defending champions Satwik-Chirag handed favorable bracket

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, defending men's doubles champions from Hangzhou, begin against Thailand's Peeratchai Sukpun and Pakkapon Teeraratsakul. Their path to the semifinals is considered relatively manageable, with the top-seeded South Korean pair of Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae projected as semifinal opponents. Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun face a sterner opening test against second seeds Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri.

Doubles and mixed doubles pose mixed tests for India

In women's doubles, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand will start against Hong Kong's Lok Lok Lui and Hiu Yan Tsang, with a probable second-round meeting against the Japanese world No. 3 pair Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto — a duo Treesa and Gayatri beat in the team quarterfinals. Kavipriya Selvam and Simran Singhi open against Indonesia's Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma and Meilyysa Trias Puspitasari and could face South Korea's second seeds Hana Baek and Sohee Lee next. In mixed doubles, Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto begin against Maldives' Nibal Ahmed and Abdul Razzaq Aminath Nabeeha.

Singles players regroup after team medal disappointments

The individual competitions begin a day after the Indian men's team settled for bronze following a 1-3 semifinal loss to China, in which both Lakshya Sen and Ayush Shetty lost their singles matches. The women's team exited earlier in the quarterfinals against Japan, with PV Sindhu and Unnati Hooda both losing. Individual events begin Friday at the 20th edition of the quadrennial showpiece in Nagoya.