Indian shuttlers face uphill task in quest for All England glory

Birmingham:  Returning from injuries and battling indifferent form, Indian shuttlers will have to play out of their skins to end the country’s agonising wait for a title at the All England Championships beginning here on Tuesday.

It has been 22 years since India won the coveted title when Pullela Gopichand (2001) followed the legendary Prakash Padukone (1980) to achieve the honour.

While Lakshya Sen came close to securing the crown when he reached the final in the last edition and Saina Nehwal was runners-up in the 2015 edition, other Indians, including two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu, couldn’t go beyond the last-four in the prestigious event.