Why the French Open in 2024 is an important badminton tournament for Satwik-Chirag, Sindhu, Prannoy, and Co: Given how well Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have performed in Paris in the past, the French Open Super 750 has gained popularity among Indian badminton fans in recent years. They achieved their first significant success in 2019 at this event, making it to the final with three unexpected victories. They went all the way to capture their first Super 750 championship in 2022.
The French Open is typically held in October, which is when all those results occurred. In 2024, however, the competition begins on a Tuesday in the middle of March. Why does that matter? The world’s top shuttlers will get their first peek at the badminton court for the Paris Olympics (and Paralympics) next week.
Contrary to popular belief, confidence in sports can arise from familiarity. And that, not just for the Indian contingent, will be the main focus of the upcoming days. The coach of HS Prannoy, former international Guru Sai Dutt, stated that one of the first things he checked for was the arena’s capacity. He draws attention to the fact that Covid-19 prevented badminton from having a test event prior to Tokyo, which may have contributed to several of the early upsets.
Guru told The Indian Express, “It is pretty important to know where you are actually playing, how it feels to be moving on the court, what the conditions will be like, and even how it looks from outside and inside.” The size of the hall and the amount of seating are two of the first things I check. The playing conditions and shuttles move a little more slowly in larger arenas. Major events like the Worlds and Asiad have recently taken place in larger halls; fast conditions haven’t been seen very often.
The 2024 French Open, which will be held at the Adidas Arena at Porte de la Chapelle instead of Pierre de Coubertin Stadium, is happening at a pivotal moment. It is essential for those who are almost guaranteed a spot in the final piece as well as for those who need to earn qualifying points to secure a spot at the Olympic Games.
With 6,700 badminton seats, this recently constructed facility is located 2.5 kilometres from the Olympic and Paralympic Village. There are no plans to replicate travel that would
be similar during the Games because the Indian contingent is staying in a hotel that is about 15 minutes away from the venue.
“The hall appears spacious and exudes an inviting atmosphere that makes you want to jump on the court and play. “They’ve done a great job setting it up; it feels dark and All England,” Guru remarked following the contingent’s pre-tournament training session.
The former top-20 player noted that while there isn’t any obvious Olympic Games buzz yet, the competition feels similar to previous BWF events in that regard. However, winning the competition will be just as important as gathering useful data.
“I am not here to coach one specific game. This is about more than that. It discusses the entire competition and the changes that occur from day one to day three, and so forth. A match’s condition is only one factor. Things will gradually change, so we must be mindful of this. Conditions can occasionally be swift in the morning. And as more people enter, things alter. There might be some drift. If a shuttle is going short due to drift from a specific location, I need to know about it.
A lot is riding on the next few weeks for celebrities like Lakshya Sen, Ashwini Ponnappa-Tanisha Crasto, and Gayatri Gopichand-Treesa Jolly, in addition to preparations for the major event. In the Race to Paris rankings, Lakshya needs a strong run to break into the top 16, while the women’s doubles pairs are sadly matched against each other straight away as their competition for the top spot intensifies. As their position in Paris becomes more assured, Satwik-Chirag (top seeds), Prannoy, and PV Sindhu will be looking to refine their preparations.
