Prannoy, Lakshya chase form as India eye revival at Japan Super 500

After a string of mixed results on the international circuit, India’s top badminton players HS Prannoy and Lakshya Sen will be hoping to reignite their form when they take the court at the Kumamoto Masters Japan Super 500 tournament, starting Tuesday. The USD 475,000 event offers Indian shuttlers a crucial opportunity to build momentum ahead of the season’s closing stretch.

For Lakshya Sen, the tournament marks another chance to consolidate his steady return to form. The 24-year-old from Almora endured a lean spell earlier this year but has shown encouraging signs in recent weeks finishing runner-up at the Hong Kong Open and reaching the quarterfinals at both the Denmark and Hylo Opens. Seeded seventh in Kumamoto, Lakshya will begin his campaign against local favourite Koki Watanabe, ranked 25th in the world. A win there could further boost his confidence after a fourth-place finish at the Paris Olympics earlier this year.

HS Prannoy, meanwhile, is targeting a fresh start after an injury-disrupted season. The 33-year-old from Kerala, a 2023 World Championships bronze-medallist, has been battling for rhythm since recovering from chikungunya before the Olympics. His campaign in Paris was hampered by pain and limited preparation, leading to an early exit. Since then, Prannoy has spent time recuperating from a rib injury suffered at the Korea Open in September, where he was forced to retire mid-match against Indonesia’s Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo. Now fit again, he will open against Malaysia’s Jun Hao Leong as he aims to rediscover the consistency that earned him titles such as the 2023 Malaysia Masters and a runner-up finish at the Australian Open.

Among India’s promising youngsters, Ayush Shetty, fresh from a breakthrough win at the US Open, faces a formidable challenge against top seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand. Rising talents Tharun Mannepalli, a Macau Open semifinalist, and Kiran George, who impressed at the Hylo Open, also feature in the main draw.

In mixed doubles, Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde will open against Americans Presley Smith and Jennie Gai.

No Indian pairs are participating in the men’s or women’s doubles categories this week.