Kidambi Srikanth joins Saina Nehwal in pulling out of PBL Season 5
Srikanth's withdrawal comes a day after Saina withdrew from the tournament to focus on getting some valuable recovery time.
Some of the top shuttlers including World Champion P V Sindhu will be in action when the fifth edition of the Premier Badminton League (PBL), featuring eight teams, gets underway on January 20.
The upcoming season which concludes on February 9 will be staged this time in Chennai, Delhi, Lucknow, and Bangalore.
The league owned by Badminton Association of India (BAI) and organized by Sportzlive, offers a total purse of Rs 6 crore with the winner taking home a cheque of Rs 3 crore.
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While the Kidambi Srikanth-led Bengaluru Raptors had lifted the trophy in the last edition, Hyderabad Hunters, Chennai Smashers, Delhi Dashers, and Hyderabad Hotshots are the other past winners.
“India’s prowess in badminton has been re-established once again as PV Sindhu became the first Indian to become the world champion. Sai Praneeth also brought a men’s singles medal after 36 years, signifying India’s stupendous development in the sport.
“The fifth season of PBL will give badminton lovers a priceless opportunity to watch these champions live,” said Himanta Biswa Sarma, President of BAI.
The 21-day event will be streamed live by Hotstar with Star Sports being the official broadcaster.
With the 2020 Tokyo Games scheduled to be held in July-August and shuttlers focussed on sealing their Olympic spots, it will be interesting to see how they manage their workload and ensure participation in the cash-rich tournament.
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