Saina Nehwal Celebrates Telangana's Sports Initiative at CM's Cup Closing Ceremony
Saina Nehwal at CM's Cup Closing Ceremony
Olympic badminton player Saina Nehwal expressed her gratitude to the Telangana government for the invitation to the Chief Minister's Cup 2025 closing ceremony held on Tuesday. She expressed hope that more athletes from Telangana would achieve success at state, national, and international competitions. Additionally, she extended her best wishes to the Indian team for the upcoming 2026 Thomas and Uber Cup.
The event, which took place at LB Stadium in Hyderabad, was attended by Telangana Minister Vakiti Srihari and Shivasena Reddy, Chairman of the Telangana State Sports Authority. The Chief Minister's Cup is a state-level sports initiative aimed at nurturing talent from the grassroots and establishing a sustainable sports framework throughout Telangana.
"I am grateful to the Telangana government for inviting me to this event. Congratulations to all the winners for their outstanding performances. I feel immense pride seeing so many talented players from Telangana. I hope we can secure more medals at various levels," Nehwal stated.
"I wish PV Sindhu and all the players the best of luck. They have the experience, and we are hopeful for positive outcomes," she added.
BAI Announces Squad for 2026 Thomas and Uber Cup
The Badminton Association of India (BAI) has announced a blend of seasoned players and promising newcomers for the 2026 Thomas and Uber Cup, scheduled to take place in Horsens, Denmark from April 24 to May 3. The men's team will feature Lakshya Sen, Kidambi Srikanth, and the duo of Satwik Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, while PV Sindhu and Unnati Hooda will lead the women's squad.
Men's Team
The men's team retains key members from the squad that won India's historic Thomas Cup in 2022, with Sen, Srikanth, and HS Prannoy taking charge of singles matches, complemented by the established doubles team of Rankireddy and Shetty. Young talent Ayush Shetty has received his first call-up following impressive performances in the senior circuit, as noted in a press release.
Women's Team
In the women's category, Sindhu will lead the charge alongside the top doubles pair of Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly, aiming to surpass their previous semifinal finishes. Hooda will be supported by a group of emerging players, including Devika Sihag, Isharani Baruah, and the young talent Tanvi Sharma.