India’s campaign at the Badminton Asia Championships 2024 came to a disappointing early end as Olympic medalist PV Sindhu and Asian Games medalist HS Prannoy lost their respective second-round matches in Ningbo, China. Sindhu showcased promise in her first-round win over Goh Jin Wei of Malaysia, but the two-time medalist lost to 6th seed Han Yue of China in a three-game battle on Thursday.

On the other hand, HS Prannoy was shown the door by World No. 19 Li Chun Yi in the men’s singles second round. The 7th seed slipped to a disappointing straight-game defeat, losing 18-21, 11-21.

India’s doubles hope also vanished as Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto lost to 3rd seeds Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida 21-17, 21-12 in the women’s doubles second round.

India’s campaign ending as early as the second day of the Badminton Asia Championships is a worrying sign in the lead-up to the Paris Olympics. While Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty opted out of the premier continental tournament, Paris-bound shuttles Sindhu, Prannoy and Laskhya Sen were shown the door early.

Lakshya and the young women’s doubles pairing of Gayatri Gopichand and Jolly Treesa lost in the opening rounds.

It was a disappointing result for Sindhu as she was hoping for a confidence-boosting run, especially after having overcome Goh Jin Wei in a tough battle. Sindhu had a 5-0 head-to-head record against Han Yue in the lead-up to Thursday’s match, but the 7th seed got one over the Indian star with a gritty show.