JOIN USSuper Sindhu blazing new trails
PV Sindhu is among the protagonists of this shining episode of Indian badminton. Since her teenage years, she was considered an heir apparent to the reign of Saina Nehwal. Five years hence, she has outlasted the prediction and blazed new trails.
If Saina is known for her unquenchable thirst to fight, Sindhu has fast earned the reputation of a big-match player. Her wobbles in the early stages of contest vanish once she goes deeper into the tournament. There are facts to back the statement. Be it her breakthrough Olympic Games in Rio, where she clinched a silver, or the two World Championships bronze medals in 2013 and 2014, Sindhu has left her spoor of developing brilliance.
The past few months haven’t been Sindhu’s best. After clinching her maiden India Open Super Series in April, she faced losses at Malaysia Open, where she lost in the first round to Chen Yufei, Singapore Open (quarterfinals), Indonesia Open (second round), and last month in Australia Open (quarterfinals), where World No 1 Tai Tzu Ying again clipped her progress. Then came the World Championships.
The World No 4 faced an early test at Glasgow but found her feet. She survived a fright in the pre-quarterfinals against little known Cheung Ngan Yi of Hong Kong, before romping into the semifinals and confirming her third medal. As former World No 1 Saina settled for bronze against a resolute Nozomi Okuhara, Sindhu packed off Chen Yufei to put herself on cusp of history.
“To be honest, I was not expecting Sindhu to do so well in the World Championships, because the last three-four months were not the best for her. So, we definitely have a big match player in her. And let’s not forget her superb record against the Chinese players. It is indeed remarkable what she has achieved in World Championships,” former badminton player Arvind Bhat told DH.
Former Asian Champion Dinesh Khanna, too, attested to the rise of Sindhu. “If there is a big stage, Sindhu is the player to look out for,” he said and continued, “a year ago when I saw her in Rio Games, she was predominately an attacking player. But now she has improved her defence and retrieving skills. She has kept her focus. She has sharp strokes and she is quite fit. The way she beat Chen in the semifinals was amazing.”
A World Championship title would have been an ideal follow up to the Olympic feat. Saina came close in 2015 when she had won a sliver. Sindhu gave her heart out in a pulsating contest on Sunday but also fell short. A gold medal at world championships continues to be a holy grail for the Indians.
“Regardless, Sindhu and Saina are the ones who are leading the badminton in the country and inspiring so many players. It is great to see both standing on the podium,” admitted Bhat.
Khanna added: “A World Championship title would have been fantastic. But this championship has also assured that Indian badminton is in good health.”