Bangalore: A confident Indian Badminton team left here on Thursday for Eindhoven in Holland to take part in the Sudirman Cup promising to put up a good performance though top shuttler Gopi Chand's fitness continues to be a worrying factor.

A fortnight-long preparatory camp that concluded here this afternoon is expected to stand the team in good stead, and coach S M Arif and his deputy Vimal Kumar sounded optimistic.

They said before the team's departure for Eindhoven via New Delhi that the team, which features in Group ‘3A’ along with Wales, Austria and Bulgaria, is confident of performing well, and getting promoted to Group ‘2’.

And to achieve that, India would have to not only top the Group ‘3A’ but also beat the winner of Group ‘3B’, which consists of Russia, Finland, Norway and the USA, in the play-off.

But the fact that Gopi Chand, former All England Badminton Champion, is not at his peak fitness level and not in top shape is worrying the Indians.

The competition would be held from March 18 to 23.

Gopi is still being troubled by his knee and Arif said decision on who should be fielded for the men's singles would be taken after playing some practice matches in Holland.

However, other top shuttlers like the national men's champion Abhinn Shyam Gupta, Chetan Anand and national women's champion Aparna Popat, are in excellent form and expected to give a good account of themselves.

Arif expects stiff competition from Russians, who are good doubles players.

The Sudirman Cup is based on the team-event format consisting of one men's singles, women's singles, men's and women's doubles each and a mixed doubles events.

While Aparna would play women's singles, Jwala Gutta is expected to pair up with Shruti Kurien in the women's doubles.

For the mixed doubles, Arif plans to line up Markose Bristow/B R Meenakshi and Chetan Anand/Jwala Gutta.

Expressing satisfaction about the camp though he would have liked it to be longer one, Arif said the emphasis was obviously on doubles and he and Vimal Kumar worked on the "explosive strength" and fitness of players.

PTI