Top Indian shuttlers including Saina Nehwal, Parupalli Kashyap and Jwala Gutta are set to take the court in the Thomas and Uber Cup at the Siri Fort Sports Complex in Delhi.
2012 Olympic bronze medallist Nehwal will lead the Indian women's team in the Uber Cup, where India have been clubbed with Thailand, Canada and Hong Kong. India will play its first match against Canada on Sunday.
The Indian shuttlers are heading into the tournament with a realistic aim, where China are favourites to win the title. However, the eighth-ranked Nehwal has promised to put a good show in front of the home crowd.
Nehwal is expected to give India a winning start in the first game, while PV Sindhu, the second highest-ranked player in the team, will have to win the second singles match.
"People expect me to win every time but they should realize that even among the Chinese players, not everyone wins each time," Nehwal said. "Though China is the favourite, I'm confident of doing well in front of the home crowd and that our team can make the semifinals."
Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa are likely to register wins in their doubles match to take India into the quarterfinals. Sayali Gokhle, PC Thulasi and Tanvi Lad will be in contention for the third singles, if required.
Kashyap said India have been given a tough group in the men's, with Malaysia, South Korea and Germany. The Indian team will open its campaign against Malaysia, and Kashyap stressed the team needs to beat either Malaysia or Korea to move ahead in the tournament.
"It is a tough draw but it is evenly matched in singles. The two ties against Malaysia and Korea are really important and if we can get good results in one of those ties then we have a chance to go through," Kashyap stated.
K Srikanth will play the first singles, while captain Kashyap will take the court for the second singles. The hosts are solely relying on singles to move ahead in the competition.
"We will have to win all the singles. If we can pull out a doubles from somewhere it will be a bonus for us. I think we are capable of beating them," Kashyap added.
Where to Watch Live:
The day's play is scheduled for an 11:30 pm ET (9:00 am IST, 3:30 am GMT) start, with live coverage on Star Sports 4 and Sport Sports HD 1 in India. The matches can be watched via live streaming option HERE, and can be live streamed by international viewers HERE.
