India is set to have representation in at least three out of five categories in badminton at Paris Olympics.
While the qualification window ends on April 28 and the official lists of players who have booked their spots for the Sumer Games in the French capital will be released after that, India has mathematically secured quotas in men’s singles, women’s singles and men’s doubles.
How qualification system works
In badminton, qualification for Paris Olympics will be determined through a ranking list based on every player’s/pair’s 10 best results between May 1, 2023 and April 30, 2024.
Quota places available
Both singles events comprise 38 players. It includes 16 quotas for Top 16 in the Paris Rankings List with maximum of two allowed per country. Host nation’s highest-ranked single player, if not qualified automatically, is awarded a quota. Two quotas are available on the basis of Universality Places (Decided by Tripartite Commission).
The list should also meet the criterion of including two athletes from each of the five BWF Continental Confederations (Continental Representation Places) provided the player is ranked 250 or above (ranked between 1-250) in the Paris Rankings List.
All three doubles events (men, women and mixed) have 16 quotas each. It comprises Top 8 in the Paris Rankings List with maximum of two pairs allowed per nation followed by the next best eight duos (limit of one per country).
Each doubles event will have at least one pair from each of the five BWF Continental Confederations.
How are Indians placed
With only the continental championships remaining before the qualification cycle ends, the following Indian players have mathematically won a quota for Paris Olympics
Men’s Singles – H S Prannoy (currently ninth in Paris Rankings)
Men’s Singles – Lakshya Sen (12th in Paris Rankings)
Women’s Singles – P V Sindhu (13th in Paris Rankings but 11th based on criterion of maximum two players per country in Top 16)
Men’s Doubles – Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty (second in Paris Rankings)
There is no Indian pair in contention to win a quota in mixed doubles.
In women’s doubles, India’s Tanisha Crasto-Ashwini Ponnappa and Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand pairs are currently 20th and 27th in Paris Rankings, respectively but the former is 12th based on the criterion of maximum of one duo allowed per country outside the Top 8 and could grab a quota.
Can Treesa and Gayatri go past Ashwini and Tanisha?
Treesa-Gayatri pair (44,964 points) trails Ashwini-Tanisha pair (51,010 points) by 6046 points with just one event – Asian Championships (individual) – left before the qualification window ends.
Continental Championships are considered as a BWF World Tour Grade 2, Level 2 event. The points distribution is as follows:
Winner: 12,000
Runner-up: 10,200
Semifinalist: 8400
Quarterfinalist: 6600
Second round: 4800
First round: 3000
Also, out of their 10 best results currently being considered, a second-round finish at Korea Open (3600 points) is the lowest-scoring one for Treesa-Gayatri. For Ashwini-Tanisha, it is their semifinal finish at Indonesia Masters I (3850 points).
Treesa-Gayatri pair has to at least reach the final of the Asian Championships, scheduled to be held from April 9 to 14 in Ningbo, China to have a chance. If Ashwini and Tanisha reach the second round, Treesa and Gayatri have to win the title. In case Ashwini and Tanisha reach the quarterfinals, Treesa and Gayatri will not be able to overtake them.
Ashwini and Tanisha are also battling with four-five other pairs for the last few remaining spots in the women’s doubles category.