Housnlow's Rajiv Ouseph, England’s number one men’s singles player, says this weekend’s English National Badminton Championships could be an important stepping stone en route to October's Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

The 23-year-old is top seed for the men’s singles at the Championships, which got under way today at Manchester Velodrome.

Rajiv, ranked 24th in the world, is aiming to win his third successive title - if successful, he would be the first person to achieve the feat since Darren Hall in 1991.

“It’s not something I’m going to think about much, I’m just going to take each match as it comes,” said Rajiv.

“The English Nationals are a good opportunity to test yourself against the other players in the country.

“There’s a bit of pressure, because you’re expected to win, but it’s good to have that pressure sometimes.

“We’ve had a period of hard training over the winter and I’m feeling good going into the championships.”

Rajiv, who trains at the Badminton England’s National Badminton Centre in Milton Keynes, has his heart set on a place in the England team to compete at the Commonwealth Games.

Subject to selection, he thinks he would have a good chance of winning a medal in the men’s singles in India – despite the likely presence of Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei, current world number one and reigning Commonwealth Games champion.

“He’s just won a couple of big tournaments but, if you’re in the other half of the draw, realistically I think medalling would be quite achievable," said Rajiv, a member of England’s bronze medal winning badminton team at the Bendigo Commonwealth Youth Games in 2004.

“The Commonwealth Games are definitely up there for me. Playing at the Games would definitely be an experience for me.

"It’s just below the Olympics and it’s a multi-sport event - they don’t come around very often.”

Rajiv is coached by two-time national champion Aamir Ghaffar, who represented England in the men’s singles at the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games, finishing fourth.

England have won the Commonwealth Games men’s singles gold only once – that went to Stephen Baddeley in Edinburgh in the1986 Games.

England finished second to Malaysia in the badminton medals table at the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games with two golds, a silver and two bronzes.

For further details see the Badminton England website at badmintonengland.co.uk