PV Sindhu, India's star performer

Third time lucky? It was Sindhu’s third consecutive World Championships final no doubt, but it was more than luck that saw her clinch the most prized medal. The final against Japanese top seed Nozomi Okuhara in Basel was one of Sindhu’s finest performances I have seen. For those who missed the match, the result gives an idea into the one-sided demolition. She was a giant on court. And not surprisingly the jinx was broken (“Sindhu creates history, becomes first Indian to win World Championships,” Aug.25, Gulf Today)

It took the 24-year-old PV Sindhu a little over half an hour to crush Okuhara and in the process she became the first Indian to win the BWF World Championships. It was a final to remember for all her supporters and badminton aficionados. But it surely will be very special for the champion because it must have brought back memories of the 2017 final.

Unlike the Sunday tie, the 2017 final was a pulsating encounter that lasted nearly two hours and involved a 73-shot rally, with Okuhara emerging victorious in the end. It was sweet revenge indeed. In fact her resounding win in the final was in sync with her tremendous form throughout the Championships. She had dropped only one game in tournament ahead of the final so the one-sided final was not totally unexpected.

Of course the victory will be huge boost for the Hyderabad champion who I am sure will now have her sights on sealing another gold at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Purohit Shah
By email