Indian Badminton Stars Return to Action at Arctic Open

Following a two-month hiatus after the Olympics, Indian badminton players PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen are preparing to compete at the Arctic Open Super 500 in Finland, beginning Tuesday. They will lead an Indian team that includes Kidambi Srikanth and a host of young singles players.

After their medal-less Olympics campaign, Sindhu and Lakshya took a break to regroup. Sindhu has restructured her coaching set up, enlisting Anup Sridhar as interim coach and South Korean legend Lee Syun Il as a consultant. Lakshya, on the other hand, has been working on his physical fitness after his defeat in the bronze medal match in Paris.

The players' current form and the repercussions from their Olympic preparations remains to be seen. While the Arctic Open's roster lacks some top players, the Indian players' performances upon their return will be closely watched.

Notably absent from the draws are HS Prannoy and the men's doubles duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty, the former withdrawing due to health issues.

Sindhu, beginning her post-Olympic journey, will face rival Michelle Li initially, with a potential subsequent challenge from rising Japanese star Tomako Miyazaki. The route will test Sindhu's ability to adapt and contend with the next generation of players.