England's Rajiv Ouseph expects a "tough" battle to qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympics after struggling in recent major international competitions.
The 28-year-old impressed at the All England Open in March by reaching the quarter-final stage, but he lost to Japan's Sho Sasaki.
Ouseph struggled to maintain his good form as he got knocked out at the Malaysia and Singapore Opens.
Despite Ouseph's recent results, the British number one is looking forward to beginning his campaign for Rio qualification.
"It's an exciting time for us that the Olympic qualification period has started now," Ouseph told the Derby Telegraph.
"It's going to be a long tough year but a year that at the end of it, there will be something very good to look forward to in Rio. I'm happy with my level at the moment. There's definitely a step up I can take."
Ouseph won mixed team silver at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow last summer.
