Hyderabad: After winning women’s singles silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, India’s current World No. 7 P.V. Sindhu has also won the silver medal at 2017 and 2018 World Championships.
The string of runner-up finishes had many people started calling her “silver Sindhu”. She was obviously unhappy about the nick name, but then realized the best way to get over someone calling her nasty names was to prove them wrong by way of success.
“I remembered in 2017, I have 7 or 8 silvers in a row, and people started calling me you have a ‘final phobia’,” said Sindhu.
“It was my third final at the 2019 World Championships, before that, I have also won two bronze in 2013 and 2014. I told myself I would do whatever it took to win the final. I was so desperate to win the World Championships title,” explained Sindhu.
“When I came to the final, I told myself, you know what, I will give the 100 percent, I have to win this title,” said Sindhu when speaking to Indian women’s cricketers Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues on a YouTube show.
“When I was leading 20-7, I told myself finally I was winning this tournament, but it’s not over yet, I still have to win one point, but back in my mind, I was thinking what should I do when I win, should I shout or fall on the court,” said Sindhu jokingly.
“I was really quick on my feet, I kept my focus, and finally, I won!”
Sindhu defeated her familiar rival Nozomi Okuhara of Japan with 21-7, 21-7 in the one-sided final lasted just 38 minutes.
Who could have thought that in the 2017 World Championships final, facing the same opponent, Sindhu lost to Okuhara in an epic 110-minute battle with 19-21, 22-20, 20-22.
Sindhu also created history by becoming the first Indian badminton player to ever win the World title after winning the 2019 edition.
