PBL arrives for final leg in Hyderabad

Hyderabad : Over the next 12 days all roads will lead to the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium as the final leg of the Premier Badminton League (PBL) will get under way here on Wednesday.

Local team Hyderabad Hunters are leaving no stone unturned to make it as exciting as possible for fans, promising to come out with all guns blazing in their quest to regain the title.

"This is our home turf. With the support of our passionate fans, we are confident of upping our game and making a dash for the semi-finals," VRK Rao, owner of the Hunters, said. The Hunters, led by local star and newly anointed Padma Bhushan PV Sindhu, will hope to turn the tide following a not too impressive season so far.

"We have not had the best of starts. But that is in the past now. We are working on the things that need to be fine tuned and we will be ready for this crucial phase of the league," Sindhu said.

In their first fixture here, the Hunters will take on second-placed North-Eastern Warriors. Sindhu knows what they are up against, with the visitors boasting of Michele Li and Lee Yong Dae among others in their side.

The Hunters have as many as four matches at home starting from January 29 in a total of six ties, giving them ample scope to recover lost ground. The League stage will get over on February 6 followed by the semis and grand finale on February 9.