New Delhi: World Championship medalists Lakshya Sen and Kidambi Srikanth will spearhead India’s campaign at the Arctic Open 2025 badminton tournament, beginning Tuesday in Vantaa, Finland. The event, part of the BWF World Tour Super 500 series, will see India field a youthful but determined squad in the absence of some of its biggest stars.
Lakshya Sen, who reached his first final of the year at the Hong Kong Open last month, will be aiming to convert that momentum into a title win. However, the 2024 Paris Olympics semifinalist has faced a challenging season with multiple early exits, including a first-round defeat at the China Masters.
Kidambi Srikanth, the former world No. 1, will look to build on his recent resurgence. The seasoned campaigner reached the semifinals of the Al Ain Masters last week and earlier made the final of the Malaysia Masters in May, signaling a gradual return to form.
Joining Sen and Srikanth in the men’s singles draw are Ayush Shetty, Tharun Mannepalli, Kiran George, and S Sankar Muthusamy Subramanian. Among them, 19-year-old Ayush Shetty India’s only BWF World Tour title winner this year after his US Open triumph faces a tough opening round against Paris 2024 silver medallist Kunlavut Vitidsarn.
Asian Games gold medallists Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have withdrawn from the tournament, leaving the men’s doubles category without India’s top-ranked pair.
In the women’s singles, rising stars Tanya Hemanth and Anmol Kharb will carry India’s hopes in the absence of two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu. Kavipriya Selvam, who also features in the women’s doubles alongside Simran Singhi, will compete in the qualifiers.
India’s mixed doubles challenge will be led by the pairing of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto, who represented the country at the Paris Olympics, while siblings Mohit and Lakshita Jaglan form the second Indian duo in the category.
No Indian shuttler has yet claimed a title at the Arctic Open, and this year’s contingent will be eager to change that statistic with strong performances across disciplines.
