PV Sindhu with her coach Pullela Gopichand and her physio Kiran.
PV Sindhu goes down 21-19, 12-21, 15-21 in the Women singles final at the Rio 2016 Olympics. It was a gritty display of strength and character in a match that lasted for 1 hour and 20 minutes and watched by billions across the world. It was Carolina Marin of Spain with the gold and who was undoubtedly the better player on the day. Sindhu ‘smash’ed her way to the annals of Indian Olympic history becoming the first Indian athlete to win silver and also the youngest ever to win a medal in an Olympics Games. However, it was a match beyond the match that won Sindhu the real gold after her silver medal exploits on the court!
Buildup
The big and historic day arrived for Indian fans. For the Olympics, this was a first since 1992 without featuring China. India already has a lot of firsts with Sindhu becoming the Will PV Sindhu join the golden company of Abhinav Bindra or would Carolina Marin bring the gold to another continent – Europe? Lot of questions on the minds of anxious fans.
Bad news from other Indians in fray
The Narsingh Yadav controversy that is getting murkier by the day. First t was then the doping allegation and subsequent clearance by NADA. Then WADA decided to appeal this in CAS and a subsequent 4 year ban was handed. A news that left many fans gutted. Moreover, Sandeep Tomar lost his 57kg wrestling bout against reigning bronze medalist and world no. 3 Victor Lebedev from Russia.
Delay, wait and anxiety in the fans!
The match was delayed yet again like it was last time due to the previous men’s doubles bronze medal match between Great Britain and China. This time it was Chen Long of China battling it out against Viktor Axelsen of Denmark in the men’s singles semifinal. The wait itself was tough on the fan’s nerves! The other men’s single semifinals saw Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia edging out Lin Dan in an epic 3 set edge of the seat battle where Lin Dan saved 3 match points only to be defeated at the end with the score reading
Road to Final
PV Sindhu (World Rank 10)
| Opponent |
Score |
| Laura Sarosi (Group stages) |
21-8 21-9 |
| Michelle Li (Group stages) |
19-21 21-15 21-17 |
| Tzu Ying Tai (Pre-Quarterfinals) |
21-13 21-15 |
| Wang Yihan (Quarterfinals) |
22-20 21-19 |
| Nozomi Okuhara (Semifinals) |
21-19 21-10 |
Carolina Marin (World Rank 1)
| Opponent |
Score |
| Nanna Vainio (Group stages) |
21-6 21-4 |
| Line Kjaersfeldt (Pre-Quarterfinals) |
21-16 21-13 |
| Sung Ji Hyun (Quarterfinals) |
21-12 21-16 |
| Li Xuerui (Semifinals) |
21-14 21-16 |
Picture courtesy – Pro Badminton League India
Head to head record
It stands 4-2 in favor of Carolina Marin. And more importantly all the four wins were straight set victories for her. For Sindhu, both the wins went to the third and deciding set where she had to slug it out. Playing in the semifinal of the Denmark Open Superseries Premier, Sindhu had last defeated Marin in three riveting games 21-15 18-21 21-17.
Carolina is the reigning two-time World champion, three-time Superseries champion and a former All England champion.
The Big Match!
The first set is the deciding set!
It sets the tone of the match and for me the match would be decided in two sets. Momentum is key in this game and if you have the first one it would be make it difficult for your opponent to make a comeback.
The match began with a long rally giving us an idea how this is going to pan out
It was a misjudgment on her part to miss the first point but then she won the next on with a good judgement call right at the baseline.
Carolina raced away to a 3 point advantage only to throw it away with an outside with the score reading 6-3. A good half smash on the backhand side to make the score 7-4. Both players hit the subsequent shots outside, judging it to perfection and the score now was 8-5. A good rally followed and Marin hit a good drop to outfox Sindhu.
It was once again hit outside by Marin gifting Sindhu a 3rd out of 5 points she has to her name. A good drop from her couldn’t be met by Sindhu and Carolina raced to a 4 point lead just before the break and made it 5 with another drop shot that Sindhu could only drag to the net. At the break in the first set of the game, it stood 11-6 in favor of Marin.
She resumed the game with lot of cross field shots with her left handed angle. To get into some momentum Sindhu needed to play long rallies and keep her opponent equally occupied and frustrate her both mentally and physically.
A cross drop was deemed to be a foul as Marin crashed into the net. A good push from Sindhu at the far end resulted in 3 consecutive points for her.With the score now 14-10 Sindhu needed to pull her socks up.
Marin was doing all the attacking and knew how dominating Sindhu can be when she gets going, as was the case in the last match against Okuhara, her Japanese opponent. A body line smash was enough to cramp her for space and the resulting return was tame and she maintained her 4 point lead with 15-11.
A lot of unforced errors either outside or on the net have gifted Sindhu lot of points so far. Sindhu closed the gap to 2 points to bring her service only to falter on the net, a strong point for her throughout this tournament. It was getting nervy not just for the fans but also for the players as well. A smash brought her a point and the net came to her rescue this time round! The scores now 16-15.
A body smash followed up by Marin couldn’t be returned by Sindhu as her block/lift was timid. The mops rushed in to wipe off all sweat and wet mat. This was getting edgy and
ext we witnessed the biggest rally of the game so far. It was top class stuff from both players, testing each other with Sindhu emerging victorious with a good judgement down the far baseline. This would boost her confidence levels!
Sindhu asked for a referral for an outside call and the score was 16-18 and she had to comeback quickly to stand any chance in the first game. A loopy toss from close of the net resulted in a good smashing opportunity which Marin exploited to the fullest to be 2 points to close the first set.
Sindhu returned back courtesy another outside shot, and it was another one soon with good net play. How many times have we seen this in the whole tournament. She dribbled it and equalized to make it 19-19. Momentum on her side and the shift in strategy helped her as she looks now in good shape and momentum to kil the game.
A game point this time, forcing Marin to make mistake after mistake! Beautiful dribbling her on the net 3-4 times and then one on the far side which she couldn’t return
And Sindhu did it she won the first game! Winning 5 points on the trot! It was like snatching victory from the jaws of defeat i.e. Marin. Kudos, how much will this help her in the next game. With form and momentum on her side, no one can dare to stop her now!
There was sizable Indian support in the stands as the fans cheered her up with chants of ‘jeetega bhai jeetega’. What a comeback by Sindhu to clinch the first set.
Second set – momentum vs comeback
Marin began the second set well and raced away for a 4 point lead with good shift in her strategy as well!
Marin forced a toss outside and Sindhu opened her account in this set, only to be pegged back with a cross court slice drop which Sindhu failed to reach. This is a highlight of any left hand player that Marin displayed and played to perfection.
Another toss was played outside this time by Sindhu and the score went 6-1. A good drop earned Sindhu a point but she made another mistake trying to hurriedly return a weak return by Marin on her net.
Marin made it an unassailable 9 point lead going into the break with of 11-2
She had a job at her hand and knew it woud serve her better to go all out on Sindhu
can t allow her to dominate instead.
Sindhu needed to come back strong with an all out attack like her last match and she didn’t disappoint her fans, coach and herself! She earned then first 2 points to close the gap quickly and foster hopes of a comeback. Sindhu protested for a foul against Marin only to be overruled by the umpire. A mistake from Marin on the net gave another breakthrough and a glimmer of a hope to Sindhu.
A good rally followed which was eventually won by Marin as her shot just hit the top of the net and the score was 13-5. Sindhu challenged and won the resulting decision of awarding the far side call to be outside. The game was racing away from Sindhu with the score reading 14-6 now.
Sindhu did the unthinkable by lifting two back to back smashes. A cross court drop, good return and then a slice-drop – a favorite stroke for left-handers, we saw it all in one rally!
Marin inching closer with 15-7. A cross court shot could not be returned ad Sindhu managed t break the run of play. A slice-drop again proved to be costly for her but she made a deep half smash on the sideline using her height to good effect and the next shot a cross court attempt and it was 17-9.
Marin readied her service a half smash couldn’t be lifted by Sindhu, who had turned ultra defensive in the second game. She needed to get back her mojo and return to the attacking form we know her off. A half smash by Marin on the net, brought Sindhu to double figures but the gap was still 8 points at 18-10.
An off balance shot after initial good defense made it 18-11. Sindhu hit a shot wide on the sideline and Marin was 2 points away from clinching this set. Sindhu spoke to the umpire in the aftermath and earned one more point and make Marin wait a bit more,
Extraordinary drop shot from Marin brought up 10 game point opportunities.
And it was game, once again with a slice drop, hitting back to Sindhu after losing the first game, hitting and pegging her back in style!
Coach Pullela Gopichand trying to calm the nerves of her protege.
So the game goes into the last match and it was advantage and momentum Marin!
The final hurrah!
Sindhu looked in pressure but snatched a point from Marin with the score 1-2. She was still defensive and needed to use attack her main weapon so far in the tournament – ATTACK!
A smash on the net and looked like Sindhu is a bit slow today. A deep push on the body forced a weak return from Sindhu and thereby earned a point for Marin. Sindhu had no answer to Marin’s smashes as she raced ahead to a 4 point lead with 5-1.
A drop from Marin was out and Sindhu had something good in a long rally with 2-6. Marin stretched Sindhu to the fullest and made a good attack to earn her second consecutive point from a deep half smash! An excellent smash on the line from Sindhu maintained the three point deficit 7-4 but she shot the next one, on the far side to make the score 8-4.
A good rally and again a good half smash wasn’t picked by Sindhu and Marin started to build momentum and race away in this match. A good cross court return and Sindhu showed how she can match her opponent from a very difficult angle.
Marin hit on the net, another error and it was 6-9 and Sindhu with a beautiful drop shot to make it 7-9. And Marin hit one more out and the gap closed to 1 point now.A good engaging rally followed and Sindhu just manged to hit her shot far on the baseline. A body smash and it was 10-9 good comeback just before the break for Sindhu. A good, deep and long rally and woohhooo Sindhu equalised with a beautiful drop shot that Marin could only push on the net!!
It was 11-10 on the break in the deciding set as Sindhu just over hit her toss. Even-Stevens in the final half set of the match, game and tournament!
Carolina began proceedings much stronger earning her first point with a smash. The resulting push was outside from Sindhu. Next up, a push by Marin was outside after another long rally which Marin chose to refer.She was continuously talking to herself to maintain her focus on the match and she earned her point with a hint of the shuttle cock hitting the line!
How close is this match going to turn out!! Marin is not giving Sindhu any chance to get under the shuttle Sindhu with an excellent drop shot which Marin failed to lift. It was getting nervy by this time round.
A smash on back hand side of Sindhu but another similar attempt from her was not enough. Gopi instructing Sindhu to go all out on attack now. Another smash by Sindhu which the line judge rued out which she challenged and lost it. Seemed like luck was also on Marin’s side !
She forced another error after a long rally this time down the line from Marin and the gap was 3 points now with score of 13-16. Another rally and the same result, Sindhu building some pressure and forcing Marin to commit some silly mistakes. Continuous smashes in the next rally were enough to force timid returns, the final one of which earning Marin a point on the net.
Capitalizing on weak returns, that been how Marin had forced Sindhu on the back foot. She had to save 6 match points, that’s too big a task, especially when you are up against the current world no. 1! One saved by Sindhu, as the score read 20-15 in favor of Marin.
And then this happened …
Sindhu crashed down and with it a billion hopes in India. Words can’t describe the emotions going on inside both sets of players!
The ‘Gold’en moment
After the moment had sunk in Sindhu quickly crossed the court to go over to Marin, who was down on her knees crying with joy and lifted her on her feet. The two shuttlers locked themselves in an embrace, a sight that made every sports fan wanting to join them in such healthy display of the sportsmanship spirit – the very reason why we watch or play any sport! She displayed qualities of a champion, as only a champion can do such a thing She lifted and congratulated her opponent, forgetting all her emotions at once! Badminton was the real winner in this healthy camaraderie between two players who are brutal against each other on court, but equally respectful off it! I have tried to recreate these very moments in this slideshow below.
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As Marin, was down on the court and later on her victory lap, Sindhu picked Marin’s racket/racquet. This is clear indication of how much the sport of Badminton means to her and how she respects not just her opponents but also the equipment that make them i.e. the racket in hand!
Of records & rewards
A small fact-file of her achievements till date!
She has become a role model of sorts for many in the country now. With hard work determination and grit to go for the victory in every match, she has shown how it is possible to dream, believe and hope! All those 50+ km early morning travels have finally born fruit.
With continuous victories over under 10 ranked opponents and fellow compatriot Saina bowing out early, Sindhu would easily jump up to a career high world ranking of 5.
Badminton Association of India announced a cash reward of Rs. 50 lakhs for Sindhu and also Rs. 10 lakhs for her trainer and mentor former Dronacharya awardee Coach Pullela Gopichand and his academy who gave it all for Sindhu to achieve this superb feat.
Fans speak!
Picture courtesy Redditor by Redit
A billion people were glued to their TV sets. It was heartening to see that India – the cricket crazy nation that it is, can watch Badminton too! Fans went berserk on Social Media with their choicest of messages and pictures flowering praise on India’s new silver winning golden hearted girl! A few assorted tweets, pictures and sketches from the thousands.
Or this one from Amul, who are cheesy and buttery in their quotes, much like their dairy products! Ah! I have inadvertently done a free advert for them, and should be richer now by few thousand rupees! 😉
Another sketch from the creative team of Network 18
Picture courtesy – Creative team of Network 18
Sindhu with her beaming smile on quote
“For the last three months, I had no access to the phone or internet, finally I have got it back from the coach. I do not think it is a sacrifice because badminton is more important to me than the internet, and I chose what I love best.”
Podium poise and panache!
The Olympics witnessed a decline in China’s death grip over the medal places as after 1992 this was the first time that there was n Chinese woman on the podium of Badminton’s singles. Nozomi Okuhara of Japan, the bronze medalist, courtesy a walkover over the injured Li Xuerui of China was the first to get her fair share of attention and appreciation from the crowd. Next up was our very own PV Sindhu with a dignified celebration, draped in the tricolor she displayed her contagious smile which until now had taken the country by storm! Relive the moment again.
She kissed the medal instead of biting it unlike her predecessors and compatriot Marin. How dignified was she in her celebration! Talks volumes of the character and persona this person has.
Kiss to glory – PV Sindhu with her silver medal
As Carolina Marin gathered to collect her gold, almost in tears with the moment getting the better of her, Sindhu gave her fair share of appreciation on the podium as well.
And then it was a happy group picture which all took together to relive the real Olympic spirit – the game of badminton rose yesterday to its pinnacle!
World Badminton – A star has set foot, her legendary journey has just begun, you better watch out! PV Sindhu is the future of world badminton. Period!
Whenever she was behind, she fought back to come close, be it winning 5 points on the trot to win the first set and also in other parts of the match. In fact, her approach was superb throughout the tournament. straight set victories against higher ranked opponents – boy she has grown! Indeed, her career has peaked at the right time and it is an unforgettable achievement for the 21-year-old smasher in her maiden Olympic games. She made it to the grand finale with five wins in a row, the last two of which came over higher ranked opponents in the form of world no. 2 and world no. 5 respectively. India has certainly got a new flag bearer!
The nation eagerly awaits Sindhu’s return for a flowery salute and to rally around our new star. And, she deserves it after a decade long struggle to reach where she has – among each one of our hearts!
“My target is gold. Promise to play my heart out.”: PV Sindhu to NDTV
Image Source: PTI
Vishy Punditry 