Badminton in 2024: A rollercoaster year of heartbreaks and fresh talent

PV Sindhu (Pic: AFP)

The dynamic duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty left a lasting impression, but Lakshya Sen's meltdown in the Paris Olympics' bronze medal match was frustration at its peak in a bitter-sweet season for Indian badminton during which moments of brilliance were often overshadowed by heartbreaks.

It was both the best and worst of times for Satwik and Chirag, who reached four finals and won two titles, raising hopes for a historic Olympic medal. However, their campaign ended in disappointment with a quarterfinal exit in Paris.

The Asian Games champions solidified their status as one of the world's top pairs with titles at the French Open Super 750 and Thailand Super 500 and runners-up finishes at the Malaysia Super 1000 and India Super 750 but the Olympics remained an elusive dream for the second time in eight years.

The heartbreaking loss saw their Danish coach Mathias Boe resign but the return of Malaysia's Tan Kim Her, who is credited with bringing Satwik and Chirag together, by the end of the year, provided a much-needed boost.

For Sen, it was a case of so near and yet so far. He was the beacon of hope for India at Paris. His journey to the semifinals at the French Open and All England Champions early in the year revived his sagging form and reignited dreams of a maiden Olympic medal.

However, the 23-year-old from Almora fell agonisingly short in the bronze medal match at the Olympics, a loss that will weigh heavily on him for a good amount of time. After a challenging return to the circuit, Sen's title win at the Syed Modi International offered optimism for the upcoming season.

Disappointment was also in store for PV Sindhu, India's two-time Olympic medallist, who endured another challenging year in 2024.

Chasing the holy grail of lost form, Sindhu made multiple changes to her coaching staff and moved base to Bengaluru at the end of last year to train under the legendary Prakash Padukone but early exits from tournaments continued, highlighting her struggles with form and fitness.

Sindhu showed flashes of her brilliance, reaching the Malaysia Masters final but her dream of an Olympic treble was dashed following a pre-quarterfinal exit, marking her first medal-less campaign in eight years.

The 29-year-old from Hyderabad, however, closed her season on a high by clinching the Syed Modi International title and is all set to tie the nuptial knot by the end of this month.

For HS Prannoy, the season was one of perseverance and adversity.

While his compatriots fell to superior opponents, Prannoy struggled with his health once again.

Battling a relapse of a nagging gut-related issue and a bout of chikungunya just ahead of the Olympics, the determined shuttler managed to reach the knockout stages in Paris, albeit far from his best.

Indian shuttlers' medal-less show at the Olympics prompted a disappointed Padukone, the 1980 former All England champion, to call for greater accountability from the players.

Ashwini-Tanisha, Gayatri-Treesa show promise

The two women's doubles pairs -- Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto, and Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly -- delivered promising performances that kept Indian badminton's momentum intact.

Ashwini and Tanisha's qualification for the Paris Olympics was nothing short of miraculous, considering their modest ranking at the start of the year. While they exited early in Paris, their title win at the Guwahati Masters reinforced the belief in their partnership.

Gayatri and Treesa, on the other hand, overcame the disappointment of missing Olympic qualification to claim their maiden Super 300 title at the Syed Modi International. Their qualification for the World Tour Finals capped a breakthrough year.

Emerging talents hold promise for future

While they may not yet be on the level of established stars like PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal, several young shuttlers have shown promising performances, signalling a bright future for Indian badminton.

Among the rising talents, Anmol Kharb and Tanvi Sharma stood out. National champion Anmol played a crucial role in India's historic gold medal win at the Asian Team Championships and reached the final of the Guwahati Masters, highlighting her growing potential.

Tanvi, the national runner-up, also made her mark with a maiden final appearance at the Super 100 Odisha Masters, where Rithvik Sanjeevi Satish Kumar claimed his first BWF title.

Other promising players such as Arundhati Reddy, Devika Sihag, Isharani Baruah, Ashmita Chaliha, Malvika Bansod, and Tanvi Patri also held out hope for the future.

Malvika, in particular, impressed with fearless performances against higher-ranked opponents, finishing as the runner-up at the Hylo Open Super 300.

Para shuttlers shine at Paris

Kumar Nitish led India's para shuttlers to an outstanding performance at the Paris Paralympics, securing five medals, including a gold, two silvers, and two bronzes, marking the country's best-ever showing at the Games.

Although five-time world champion and defending gold-medallist Pramod Bhagat's suspension by Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) due to a whereabouts clause failure was a setback, Nitish rose to the challenge, clinching gold in the SL3 category and retaining the title for India.

Other medalists included Suhas Yathiraj (silver, SL4), Thulasimathi Murugesan (silver, SU5), Manisha Ramadass (silver, SU5), and Nithya Sre Sivan (bronze, SH6), who all contributed in keeping India's flag flying high in Paris.

(With agency inputs)