•The event, which is taking place in Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre, has attracted the best in the sport from 56 countries, sending shivers down the spines of minnows.
•Badminton heavyweight in Birmingham includes the likes of Lakshya Sen, the highest-ranked men’s player, world silver medallist Kidambi Srikanth and two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu.
Image: KELLY ATODI (TEAM KENYA)
Kenya badminton team duo believe they are up to the challenge and hope to post impressive results despite the presence of bigwigs in the ongoing Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
The event, which is taking place in Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre, has attracted the best in the sport from 56 countries, sending shivers down the spines of minnows.
Badminton heavyweight in Birmingham includes the likes of Lakshya Sen, the highest-ranked men’s player, world silver medallist Kidambi Srikanth and two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu.
In an interview, Sammy Sikoyo disclosed that at first they felt intimidated by the stars but they have since gathered courage and are ready to do their level best.
"In a game where you can be placed against any opponent, I was worried about the temperature but currently, it has cooled down," Sikoyo said.
He added: "Now we are bettering our shuttle work to make sure we give our best.’’
‘‘We are looking forward to the competition because this is what we have been preparing for and we are ready to reap the fruits of our solid work,’’ he added.
Gupta Sauma also disclosed that although it will be her first time in such a big event, she is committed and ready to fight till the final round.
"I can’t wait for the team event to start so that I can get the opportunity to see people play real matches and get a real understanding of the level of play here in Birmingham," Gupta said.
"So far, I am excited! it's a big privilege to see some of the biggest names in badminton playing, training with them, and learning from them," she noted.
"Although we feel a bit intimidated by the sports stars and this being my first time in a huge event like this, my target is still the same; to reach the final round of 32 and even qualify for the round of 16."
At the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia, Gold Coast, Kenya did not participate in the mixed team event. Instead, players Mercy Joseph and Victor Odera represented the country at the mixed doubles event.
Mercy Joseph was knocked out of the Round of 64 with Victor getting knocked out by Dennis Coke from Jamaica in the Round of 32.
In the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Scotland, Kenya's national team was ranked 18th with Mercy Mwethya who clinched bronze at the Africa Games reaching the third round.