Kidambi Srikanth – The new HERO of Badminton

Day- SUNDAY
DATE- 18th JUNE 2017.

Occassion-  1- Champions Trophy final – India vs Pakistan

2- Hockey world league semi-final- India vs Pakistan

3- Indonesia Open Super Series Premier title – K Srikanth vs Kazumasa Sakai

Focus: Perhaps in the order that I have mentioned the matches above. India Vs Pakistan is a match which is never just a match.. All eyes are glued to cricket only, specially if it is the final of the Champions Trophy.

But my focus was what was happening almost 12,000 km away , In Jakarta .

It was the Indonesian open Super Series final where Indian Kidambi Srikanth, defying all odds reached the finals . He was up against Japanese qualifier Kazumasa Sakai and after just 37 minutes, history was made.

Srikanth won the title in a comprehensive manner in straight games 21-11 21-19.  It was his second  super series tittle of the year. He earlier won the Singapore Open

Srikanth started off cautiously and played with patience. His timing and selection of shots gave him an upper hand in the match right from word go. Once he captured the first game, there was no looking back for the world number 22.  ( He will now rise to his career high ranking of world no.2 when the next BWF Rankings are released. )

Smash after smash , net after net, the variation of his shots never gave his opponent a chance to raise his game , despite being ahead in the second game.

Road to the finals-

Srikanth beat some top notch players to reach the grand finale, including world number one – Son Wan Ho in the last 4.

Highlight of the Tournament-

First Indian shuttler to win the prestigious Indonesia Open.

 

A LIFE LESS ORDINARY 

Born in 1993 in Andhra  Pradesh, he made his international debut in 2008. he however, first came into light at the  2011 Commonwealth Youth Games when he fetched a Silver Medal. From there , he has gone from strength to strength, becoming only the third Indian male player to enter the top 5 in the world badminton ranking after legendary Prakash Padukone and Pullela Gopichand. Not only this, he achieved the feat in grand style when he handed two-time Olympic gold medallist Lin Dan a defeat in China Open that he went on to win in 2014.

His Achievements so far

– Won the China Open Super Series Premier in 2014, beating champion Lin Dan for the title

– Won the Thailand Open Grand Prix Gold in 2013

– Won the Swiss Open Grand Prix Gold, in 2015

– Won two gold medals at the 2016 South Asian Games, in men’s team and men’s singles

• Won a silver and bronze medals at the Commonwealth Youth Games in 2011

This win has surely given him a major boast for his future tournament.

P.S-

India lost to Pakistan in the final of the Champions trophy

India Beat Pakistan 7-1 in the Hockey world league semi-finals to reach the last 8

 

 

PV SINDHU- The Pride of Nation

 

P V Sindhu at Rio , Image courtesy – Pratik Behera

 

Winning an Olympic medal is every athletes dream and when your dream is fulfilled, you naturally feel at top of the world. All the hard work, injuries and sleepless nights pay off. PV Sindhu , the Indian badminton star knows what it takes to become a champion.. And after so much of hard work, commitment and struggles, she tasted the victory and what a Victory it was. Winning a Silver Medal at the ladies singles badminton event at the festival of all the sports- THE OLYMPICS.

She may have lost the final to World Number one Spain’s Carolina Marin, but not at any point did Sindhu looked fragile. She was far more composed than she usually is. She was far more consistent, perhaps the most consistent since she began playing. She played more rallies in the match which has always been her problematic area. She never looked nervous nor lost her control in her loss in an hour and 25 minute long match. When you see these qualities, you know a champion is born. It does not matter whether you win or lose what matters is the manner in which you win or lose. On route to her finals, the world number 10 Sindhu beat top ranked players.  PV Sindhu has finally managed to come out of Saina Nehwal’s shadow and has made her own niche in the badminton world. Her game has improved over the years so has her attitude. Earlier known as an expressionless player on court, she was told by her coach Gopichand to show more expressions, fist pumping and aggression, she learned and her reactions on court became her highlight throughout the last two weeks at Rio.

The first game of the final match had the longest rally of 49 seconds during which 52 shots were played. The Indian won the pulsating first game 21-19 to take lead in the match. Marin on the other hand was also eyeing to become the first European Women to win the ladies singles badminton gold in Olympics. She was too ferocious and reminded me of Venus Williams and Monica Seles because of her heaving grunting during the match. Marin is known to be an intimidating player and fetched the second game to level the match at one game all. The decider too was a high octane one which Marin won 21-15 to win the Gold Medal and create history. Both of them were making their debut at the Olympics and both created history for their respective countries. It was also amazing to watch that there were no Chinese players at the podium in this category. The bronze medal was won by Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara after her Chinese opponent Li Xeueri withdrew from the match due to injury.

Born to a Volleyball players parents, it was quite natural for young Sindhu to get drawn towards sport. She however chose Badminton after being inspired by her coach Pullela Gopichand. She picked up the badminton racquet at the age of 8 and rest as they say is history.

Career Highlights.

Sindhu began showing good results at very early stages of her life. But 2013 onwards she has been unstoppable. She has won two Bronze medals at the world championships in ladies singles badminton. She won her first Bronze Medal in 2013 at Guangzhou and then followed it up in 2014 at Copenhagen. She also captured Brozne Medals at the 2014 Commonwealth games and at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games. In 2015, P. V. Sindhu won her third successive women’s singles title at the Macau Open Grand Prix Gold.

Records-

The 21-year-old Sindhu joined shooters Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Vijay Kumar and wrestler Sushil Kumar to win the Olympic silver for India. She is first Indian woman to win a silver Medal at the Olympics.

After her win, loads of accolades are rightfully pouring in for her. She provided to be the silver lining amid the otherwise pretty forgettable Olympics for India. You have made India proud. Take a bow lady!