By IANS
New Delhi : The Badminton Association of India (BAI) Sunday announced a nine-member men’s team and eight-member women’s team for the World Team championship – Thomas and Uber Cups – to be held in Vietnam Feb 19-24.
Addressing the media on the sidelines of the first Pramod Mahajan All India Ranking Badminton tournament here at the Siri Fort Sports Complex, BAI president V.K. Verma said: “A total of 17 shuttlers, nine men and eight women, will represent India in the next month’s Thomas and Uber Cups.”
“National Champions Anup Sridhar and Saina Nehwal will lead the Indian contingent at the championship,” he said.
In Thomas Cup, India’s will be represented by World Championship quarter-finalist Anup Sridhar, P. Kashyap, Arvind Bhatt and B. Chetan Anand in the singles while the pair of Rupesh Kumar and Sanava Thomas, V. Diju and Akshay Diwalkar and J.B.S Vidyadhar will compete in the doubles category.
India have been seeded fifth in the men’s section of the World team championship.
Meanwhile in the Uber Cup, 2006 Philippines Open champion Saina will be accompanied by Aditi Mutatkar, Trupti Murgunde and new kid on the block Sayali Gokhale in the singles.
The duo of Jwala Gutta-Shruti and Kurein Aparna Balan-Jyotsna will fight in the doubles category.
The team will be accompanied by coach Hadi Idris of Indonesia and national coach Pullela Gopichand.
Before departing for the championship, the team will have a three-week training camp in Hyderabad.