PV Sindhu

Yesterday PV Sindhu broke the jinx, which got attached to her, because she was continuously losing finals at major Badminton tournaments, but at Guangzhou (China) on 16th Dec 2018, she finally beat her nemesis Nozomi Okuhara of Japan in straight games 21-19 & 21-17. This victory came after losing 7 finals starting from Nov 2017, and they are

1. Lost to Tai Tzu Ying at Hong Kong Open, in Nov 2017.
2. Lost to Akane Yamaguchi at the World series Finals, Dubai, in Dec 2017
3. Lost to Beiwan Zhang at Indian open in Feb 2018
4.  at the India Open, in Feb 2018
5. Lost to Saina Nehwal at the commonwealth Games, Japan, in Apr 2018.
6. Lost to Nozomi Okuhara at Thailand Open in Jul 2018.
7. Lost to Carolina Martin at the World Championship in Nanjing (China) in Aug 2018.
8. Lost to Tai Tzu Ying at Asian Games, Jakarta, in Aug 2018.

Incidentally yesterday’s victory is also Sindhu’s first title of the year. She is also the second shuttler after Wong Mew Choo of Malaysia to wear the finals crown without winning a single tournament in the year.

This victory will also be very important, firstly winning a tournament, where she on  the way to title beat world class player like Akane Yamaguchi, Inthanon Ratchanok and Nozomi Okuhara is itself a big achievement. Now her critics will stop talking about her recent losses, and will start believing that she is capable of winning major tournaments. The question that she will always losing in the finals, will not come again.

Now let us go to her background, she is the daughter of PV Ramana & P Vijaya, both were national level Volelyball player. Sindhu started playing Badminton at the age of 8, at the early age she was coached at the Badminton Courts of Railway Institute in Secunderabad, later she joined P. Gopichand’s Badminton Academy. After joining Gopichand’s academy she won various titles in under 10, under 13 and under 14 categories at the national level.

She entered the world tournaments in senior category from 2012, let us see her progress over the years;

1. Year 2012- In Jun 2012, she lost to germany’s Juliane Schenk in the indonasean open, 21-14, 21-14.In asian youth under 19 Championship she lost to Nozomi Okuhara 18-21,21-17, 22-20.She stunnedLondon 2012 Gold medallist li Xuerui of China 21-19, 9-21, 21-16 , in Master series tournament. In Japan Open she reached 2^nd Same year in the nationals ,she lost to Sayali Gokhale 21- 15, 15-21,21-15.. later she was runner up at Syed modi india grand prix, in the final she lost to Indonesian Linda Weni Fanteri.
2. Year 2013- She won her first title on the world stage, when she won Malaysian Open by beating 21-17,17-21, 21-19.. In BWF world Championship, she became the first Indian to win the medal, when she won bronze medal. She won Macau Open Grand prix title by defeating Canada’s Michelle Li 21-15, 21-12. During this year she was conferred with Arjuna award.
3. Year 2014- she reached Semi Final stage of 2014 commonwealth Games. Later she again won the bronze in 2014 BWF World Championship.
4. Year 2015- In Oct playing at the Denmark open, she reached her maiden finals at Super Series, on route she defeated Tai Tzu ying, Wang Yihan & Carolina Martin, in the final she lost to Lu Xuerui.
5. Year 2016- She won Malaysian Masters defeating Scotland’s kirsty Gilmour. In 2016 olympics she beat Nozomi Okuhara in semis but lost Caroline Marin in the finals. In the process she became first & youngest to bag Silver Medal for India, in Badminton.
6. Year 2017-in the Indian Open series she won by defeating Carolina Marin in the finals. In the BWF World Championship, she lost in the finals to OKuhara. In hong Kong open she lost to TaoTzu ying in the finals, from here her losing string started when lost in 7 finals continuously. In Dubai world superseries she was again runner up, losing to Akane Yamaguchi.
7. Year 2018, in the all England Open , she lost to Akane Yamaguchi in semi final. Other final losses are already mentioned.

She is still young and presently she is 23 years old, and has still at least 5 to 6 years of competitive Badminton left in her. Hope in next Olympic and World Championship she wins the Gold medal for herself and honours for the country.

She was honoured with Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award in 2013 and Padma shri in 2016.

Awaiting your views/comments/views on this blog.

Anil Malik

Mumbai, India

17^th Dec 2018