Dubai: Dr. Aman Puri, Consul General of India in Dubai, hosted a dinner for the Indian badminton team yesterday, ahead of the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championship, slated to be held in Dubai from February 14 – February 19. 

The dinner held at the Consul General’s Residence offered a warm welcome and great motivation to the Indian badminton team that arrived in the city a day before this special event. 

Dr. Aman Puri himself is a sports enthusiast and has been an avid badminton player. Years ago, before joining his foreign services career, Dr. Puri had also represented the Chandigarh badminton team in India. Speaking from his experiences as a former badminton player,Dr. Puri shared how challenging it is for players to get selected for the national team. 

Applauding the Indian team’s achievements, Dr. Aman Puri said, “Badminton is a very tough sport. Only those who are exceptionally skilled, agile and focussed can make it to the national team. The hope of billions of Indians resides in you, and I wish each one of you the very best for this championship. I am sure the Indian diaspora here is excited to cheer for you.” 

The event was attended by some of the biggest names and star players of badminton like two-time Olympic champion P.V. Sindhu, Thomas Cup winners H.S. Pranoy and Lakshya Sen among others. Present at the event were also several prominent businessmen from India and UAE. 
Indian ace P.V. Sindhu remarked, “We truly feel at home. Thank you, Dr. Aman Puri for giving us such a warm welcome. Thanks to the Indian community for the support and motivation. We are a strong team and capable of beating the top teams to make our way ahead.” 

The Indian community in the UAE is huge, constituting roughly 30 percentage of the country's population. The arrival of the Indian contingent for the Championship has sparked a wave of excitement among the Indian expat community. 

“It is for the first time that the Indian badminton team has come to Dubai to play at the prestigious Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championship. Truly thankful to Dr. Aman Puri for his warm gesture. This will certainly play a significant role in boosting the morale of our Indian players,” added Dr. Sathya Menon, CEO of Beyond Boundaries Sports Management Consultancy, the local organizer of the Championship. 

This is the third edition of the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championship and India has been drawn in Group B along with Malaysia, UAE, and Kazakhstan. Day 1 of the event will see India facing Kazakhstan. 

The Championship will witness a total of 17 participating nations - China, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Korea, Chinese Taipei, India, Singapore, Hong Kong China, Kazakhstan, Bahrain, Pakistan, Syria, UAE, Lebanon, Uzbekistan, divided into four groups fighting for the biggest title of badminton in Asia. 

It is the first time Dubai is hosting the Championship and fans around the world are flying to the city to cheer for their favorite teams at the Championship that will be taking place at Expo City - Dubai Exhibition Centre.