World No 3 Women’s Singles Player is Ajay Jayaram’s Trump Card in PDL

Ace shuttler Ajay Jayaram of Mumbai Rockets team said that women singles players are the biggest asset of their team. Jayaram is playing in the ongoing Premier Badminton League for the first time and in his view world no 3 women’s singles player Sung Yi Hyun from South Korea is his team’s trump card.

“We have a fairly well-balanced team. Our biggest strength is women’s singles. She (Hyun) is in great form. She has a fair chance against anyone,” said Jayaram to PTI on Monday.

The World no 19 player is confident of his game. “I will be playing first. I had a good season and feeling quite confident. I’m hoping I can pull off crucial wins,” he said. Jayaram is playing along with another top Indian shuttler, H S Prannoy, and both will be playing men’s singles.

Since men’s and mixed doubles teams are being made from scratch, Jayaram felt that it is difficult to gauge the game. “The men’s doubles is a bit of a scratch combination; even mixed doubles is the same. It will be interesting to see how they fare,” said Jayaram about his team’s chances.

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The men’s team is led by ex-South Korean international Lee Yong Dae who won gold in the 2008 Olympics mixed doubles game and bronze in the 2012 Olympics men’s doubles game.

Among others in women’s matches, Hyderabad Hunters had a match with Awadhe Warriors where Saina Nehwal from HH competed with Rio Olympics winner and world champion Carolina Marin and lost the match on Monday in Hyderabad.

Saina has not been keeping well for quite some time now as she had a knee injury and still recovering from it. “I think it was a difficult journey for me from injury. I am happy to be playing. She (Marin) played yesterday and she is used to the conditions. I am happy that I am coming back,” she said after the game.

Picture credit- India