Commonwealth Games: Aparna Popat tips India to land most medals in Badminton

Former nine-time national champion Aparna Popat has said India will win the maximum number of medals in the Commonwealth Games beginning next month. "Today India goes into the Commonwealth Games, as far as badminton is concerned, (as) definitely as the favourites. And what stands out is that we are not favourites in just the singles, Saina Nehwal, P.V. Sindhu, Kidambi Srikanth, H.S. Prannoy doing well but across all events," the 40-year-old Popat said at a media conference organised by official broadcasters Sony and Sports Journalists' Association of Mumbai. "We have got champions in women's doubles, in men's doubles and the mixed doubles. Mixed doubles has been really showing good promise, so not only we are going to come back with individual medals but we are also going to get the gold (in doubles), and that is my firm belief." India have one of the strongest teams with shuttlers such as Olympic silver medallist Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth among others. "It is going to be interesting in doubles. In the men's double, with Chirag Shetty and Satwiksaira Rankireddy, they have performed all over the world, they have been consistently doing well. This will be their fist Commonwealth Games. How they handle the pressure and the expectations, is something that you need to see," she said. Popat said that it could be a little tricky in the mixed doubles. "The Commonwealth Games, mixed doubles is challenging because Great Britain has a strong team. So Mixed double will be a little dicey, but I believe that we have a shot at Gold Medal across five (categories)," Popat said.