Assam’s Himanta Biswa Sarma Celebrates India’s Badminton Success and Paris 2024 Olympic Quotas
Guwahati (Assam), July 21: Assam Chief Minister and president of the Badminton Association of India (BAI), Himanta Biswa Sarma, chaired the executive and annual general meeting of the BAI. The meeting focused on promoting badminton in India.
During the meeting, it was revealed that India won 233 medals in the last international season across senior and junior categories. A significant achievement was India’s historic bronze medal at the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championship in Dubai.
Himanta Biswa Sarma appreciated the BAI members’ suggestions for improving badminton infrastructure and coaching. He praised the efforts in maintaining high-quality training with international coaches and experts.
Indian badminton players, including PV Sindhu, have secured five quotas for the Paris 2024 Olympics according to the ‘Race to Paris’ Ranking List by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). PV Sindhu, a former world champion and Olympic medalist, secured her quota by finishing 12th in the list.
In men’s singles, HS Prannoy and Lakshya Sen secured their quotas by ranking ninth and 13th, respectively. In doubles, Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy secured the third spot in men’s doubles, while Ashwini Ponappa and Tanisha Crasto finished 13th in women’s doubles.
Last year, Chirag-Satwik became the first Indian doubles pair to become world number one after winning gold at the Asian Games in Hangzhou. Ashwini and Crasto won the Abu Dhabi Masters and Guwahati Masters and were runners-up in the Syed Modi International BWF Super 300 tournament.
With a total of seven badminton quotas, India could field their joint-biggest badminton contingent in the Olympics, matching the seven shuttlers who competed in the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Doubts Revealed
Assam -: Assam is a state in the northeastern part of India, known for its tea gardens and rich culture.
Himanta Biswa Sarma -: Himanta Biswa Sarma is the Chief Minister of Assam, which means he is the head of the government in that state.
Badminton Association of India -: The Badminton Association of India is the organization that manages and promotes the sport of badminton in India.
PV Sindhu -: PV Sindhu is a famous Indian badminton player who has won many international medals, including an Olympic silver medal.
Paris 2024 Olympics -: The Paris 2024 Olympics is the upcoming Summer Olympic Games that will be held in Paris, France in the year 2024.
Quotas -: Quotas in this context mean the number of spots or places that Indian badminton players have earned to compete in the Olympics.
Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championship -: This is a badminton tournament where teams from different Asian countries compete against each other.
Rio Olympics -: The Rio Olympics refers to the Summer Olympic Games that were held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2016.
