PV Sindhu assures another medal for India at Rio Olympics
PV Sindhu to face world number 1 Carolina Marin in Gold Medal match
India got it’s second badminton poster girl in PV Sindhu when the lanky Hyderabadi won her semi finals in straight sets. After medal favorite Saina Nehwal’s early exit, the onus was on Sindhu to carry forward the badminton hopes in the women’s draw. Sindhu created history as she stormed into the final of the women’s singles badminton tournament by crushing Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara in straight games. She thus assured India of another medal -atleast a silver.
Sindhu, ranked 10th in the world, went one better than her senior Saina Nehwal, bronze medal winner in London four years ago, by becoming the first ever Indian to enter the summit clash in the shuttle game in the quadrennial sports spectacle.
Sindhu’s heart-warming feat came a day after woman grappler Sakshi Malik had won a bronze in the 58 kg class to end the medal drought for India in the Games on the 12th day of competition.
In the semifinal clash, Sindhu had a 1-3 head-to-head record against Okuhara but all that went for a toss as the Indian came out with a well-thought strategy, engaging the Japanese in long-rallies with her angled returns and deft drops.
In the opening game which lasted 29 minutes, Sindhu opened up a 4-1 lead early on and rode on Okuhara’s unforced errors to extend the advantage to 8-4. The Indian engaged her rival in long rallies and tried to vary the pace and finish them with well-executed drops.
Saina admitted to Hyderabad Hospital
India ace Saina Nehwal was admitted to a hospital in Hyderabad to undergo treatment for her knee injury which affected her progress in the badminton event of the Rio Olympics.
The 26-year-old had lost her second group match against Ukraine’s Maria Ulitina to crash out of the Rio Olympics.
“Saina has been hospitalised for the last two days and is undergoing treatment for her injury, which got worse during her match against Maria at Rio Olympics,” Saina’s father Harvir Singh told PTI
