Beijing, Feb. 2 -- Indian women's badminton team will start their Badminton Asian Team Championship title defence without two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu, who has withdrawn from the tournament due to a niggle, reported Olympics.com.

Tuesday marks the start of the sixth edition of the Badminton Asia Team Championships in Qingdao, China, with the men's and women's events featuring some of Asia's top teams. A replacement for Sindhu has not been named, as the deadline to do so has passed, and India will compete without one.

Rising teen stars Tanvi Sharma, a part of title winning squad two years back and Unnati Hooda are a part of the women's team alongside Malvika Bansod and Commonwealth Games medalist and world number 20 pair of Treesa...