Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], March 24 (ANI): Olympian shuttler Saina Nehwal thanked the Telangana government for inviting her to the closing ceremony of the Chief Minister's Cup 2025 on Tuesday and hoped that more players from Telangana will win medals at the state, national, and international levels.

She also wished the Indian contingent good luck for the 2026 Thomas and Uber Cup.

Telangana Minister Vakiti Srihari and Telangana state Sports Authority Chairman Shivasena Reddy and were among those who took part in the closing functiona at the LB stadium in Hyderabad.

The Chief Minister's Cup, initiated by Telangana government, is a state-wide sports initiative that aims to foster talent at the grassroots level and build a sustainable sports ecosystem across the state.

'I want to thank the Telangana government for inviting me to the closing ceremony of the Chief Minister's Cup 2025. Congratulations to all the winners; they performed very well. I'm feeling very proud to see so many players coming from Telangana. I hope we will win more medals at the state, national, and international levels,' Nehwal said.

'I wish good luck to PV Sindhu and all the players. They are experienced, and we hope for good results,' she added.

The Badminton Association of India (BAI) has selected a mix of experienced campaigners and in-form youngsters for the 2026 Thomas and Uber Cup to be held in Horsens, Denmark from April 24 to May 3, with Lakshya Sen, Kidambi Srikanth and the Satwik-Chirag pair forming the core of the men's squad, while PV Sindhu and Unnati Hooda leading the women's team.

The men's side retains the nucleus of the team that clinched India's historic Thomas Cup title in 2022, with Sen, Srikanth, and HS Prannoy leading the singles, alongside the established doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty. Young shuttler Ayush Shetty has earned a maiden call-up after consistent performances on the senior circuit, according to a press release.

In the women's competition, Sindhu will spearhead India's challenge alongside the top doubles pair of Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly, as the team looks to better its previous semifinal finishes. Hooda is joined by a group of in-form youngsters, including Devika Sihag, Isharani Baruah, and teenager Tanvi Sharma. (ANI)