PV SINDHU: First Indian’s Golden History

A true champion never gives up. Each year Sindhu was denied the Gold medal at the BWF World Championships, she bounced back with stronger vigour. The 2019 BWF World Championships at St. Jakobshalle in Basel, Switzerland, PV Sindhu displayed great character to trounce all her opponents one by one to ultimately win the Gold medal. After the win, Sindhu dedicated her Gold medal to her mother as her birthday gift. It surely was an emotional moment for mother and daughter, who will cherish this win as her most special one.

By winning the Gold medal at the 2019 BWF World Championships, PV Sindhu also equalled China’s Zhang Ning’s tally of five BWF World Championships medals, the most medals-win by a woman singles player in the world. While Zhang Ning retired in the year 2008, Sindhu has many more years to win more medals at the BWF World Championships to lead the women’s badminton world in coming years.

THE FINAL ENCOUNTER

Two years ago, Japanese Nozomi Okuhara triumphed over Sindhu in three sets 19–21, 22–20, 20–22 at the 2017 BWF World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland. Avenging her loss, Sindhu trounced Okuhara in straight sets 21–7, 21–7. The winning score says the whole story of Sindhu’s dominance over her Japanese opponent.

Interestingly, Nozomi Okuhara won the first point in the first game. However, Sindhu gave her no room to dominate thereafter. Sindhu raced ahead to 8–1 in the next four minutes. Okuhara was clueless to see the emergence of Sindhu’s superb form. In the next four minutes, Okuhara just could one point, while Sindhu increased her score to 11–2. The final was a one-sided story with Sindhu dominating Okuhara right from the word go.

Okuhara tried to match Sindhu’s pace, attack and defense and gained two points. But Sindhu was simply unstoppable as she gained her lead to 18–4. In just 16 minutes, Sindhu wrapped up the first game 21–7 with her soaring confidence and magnificent form. Sindhu outclassed Okuhara in every aspect of the game to great roar and applause of the Indian contingent and fans.

In the second game, Sindhu won the first two points to frustrate Okuhara even further. The Japanese shuttler was losing her nerve for making silly mistakes. On the other hand, Sindhu was eager to finish the game at the earliest smashing left, right and centre with great confidence. Within five minutes of the second game, Okuhara was trailing 4–11. Sindhu’s dominance was so strong during the second game that Okuhara must have wished never to meet the Indian shuttler ever.

Sindhu wrapped up the second game in 18 minutes 21–7. Coach Gopichand was ecstatic for her prodigy to win the ultimate Gold medal at the BWF World Championships. It was celebration time for the Indian contingent and the whole nation. Sindhu’s proud parents were on cloud nine. Sindhu? Well, soon after her win, she enthused, “I dedicate this medal to my mother. It’s her birthday today. A big thanks to my Coach Pullela Gopichand and my support staff.”

The win was sweet for PV Sindhu in many aspects. While Sindhu avenged her 2017 BWF World Championships defeat at Nozomi Okuhara’s hand, she had trounced China’s Chen Yufei 21–7, 21–14 in the semi final and Tai Tzu Ying in the quarter final 12-21, 23-21, and 21-19. The Gold medal was the icing on Sindhu’s cake!

JOURNEY OF SUCCESS

Pusarla Venkata Sindhu is one of the most successful India’s badminton players, whose great achievements have inspired many youngsters in the nation. Her impressive medal tally is second to none. In the 2010 Iran Fajr International tournament, Sindhu won the Silver medal. In the year 2011, she won the Maldives International, Indonesian International, Swiss International and Tata Open India International titles to announce her arrival on the international stage. She was also the runner-up at the 2011 Dutch Open.

In the year 2012, Sindhu became the runner-up at the Syed Modi International. In 2013, she went onto win the Malaysian Masters and Macau Open titles. In 2014, she defended her title at the Macau Open and was runner-up at the Syed Modi International. In the year 2015, Sindhu completed her hat-trick at the Macau Open. At the 2016 Malaysian Masters and the 2017 Syed Modi International, Sindhu won the titles with great confidence.

Competing at the BWF Super Series, Sindhu’s impeccable three titles win at the 2016 China Open, 2017 Indian Open and 2017 Korean Open with four runners-up standings at the 2015 Denmark Open, 2016 Hong Kong Open, 2017 Hong Kong Open and the 2017 BWF Super Series Finals speak a great deal about her consistency on the world stage.

On the BWF World Tour, Sindhu has won the 2018 BWF World Tour Finals’ title and was runners-up at the 2018 India Open, 2018 Thailand Open and the 2019 Indonesia Open. In the last two Commonwealth Games, Sindhu has won a Bronze and a Silver medal in the year 2014 and 2018 in Scotland and Australia respectively. At the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia – Tai Tzu Ying pushed Sindhu to the second spot triumphing 21–13, 21–16.

At the BWF World Championships, PV Sindhu has been gradually achieving better results ever since she entered for the first time at the 2013 BWF World Championships in Guangzhou, China. Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon defeated Sindhu 21–10, 21–13 in the semi final match. Sindhu won her first BWF World Championships Bronze medal. At the 2014 BWF World Championships at Copenhagen, Denmark – Spain’s Carolina Marin triumphed over Sindhu in the semi final encounter 21–17, 21–15.  Sindhu had to be content once again with the Bronze medal.

For the next two consecutive years, Sindhu was not able to make it at the BWF World Championships. Deep down in her hearts, she vowed to bounce back at the world stage. At the 2017 BWF World Championships at Glasgow, Scotland – Sindhu lost in the final to Nozomi Okuhara 19–21, 22–20, 20–22 to win the Silver medal.

A year later, at the 2018 BWF World Championships at Nanjing, China – Carolina Marin triumphed over Sindhu 21–19, 21–10 in the final. Sindhu had to be content with her second Silver medal at the BWF World Championships.

She trained hard with Coach Gopichand to achieve the much-awaited Gold medal and be crowed the BWF World Champion. 2019 is surely PV Sindhu’s year for achieving the eluded Gold medal. She has written a new leaf with golden letters in the history of India’s Badminton by winning the Gold medal at the 2019 BWF World Championships in Switzerland.

PERSONAL LIFE

PV Sindhu was born on the 5^th of July 1995 in Hyderabad, India. Father PV Ramana and mother P Vijaya were both National Volleyball players. Sindhu is the proud and successful daughter of 1986 Seoul Olympics Bronze medallist father. Sindhu’s father was bestowed with the Arjuna Award in the year 2000. Sindhu’s elder sister PV Divya also was a National-level Handball player. She comes from a sports family.

In the year 2013, PV Sindhu was honoured by the Government of India with the Arjuna Award like her father for her invaluable contributions to uplift nation’s image on the world stage. In the year 2015, the Government of India bestowed her with the fourth highest civilian award – the Padma Shri. In the year 2016, Sindhu was honoured with the highest sporting honour of India – the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award.