The battle for becoming a world champion was not going to be easy. But the match from Sunday evening exceeded everyone’s expectations. And boy oh boy! What a match it was! A game truly worthy of the finals. Such an enthralling contest between the two finalists will go down as one of the best games of badminton ever played. After a grueling encounter of about 110 minutes, a ‘Silver Starred Sindhu’ emerged at the BWF World Championship 2017. Hang around to relive the best moments from the match.
The battle began with a bang:
Sindhu was the clear favorite in the final. She even played like one and led 11-5 at the break. But Okuhara came back strongly, hitting the shuttle hard. The Japanese girl surprised the Indian with her abilities. From 10-14, Nozomi clinched eight consecutive points and took away the game from for Sindhu thereafter. It was 21-19 in favor of No. 7 seed at end of the first game.
Game underway
Take a bow Sindhu and Okuhara!
Sindhu started dominantly after losing the first game and both players indulged in lengthy rallies. With Sindhu ahead 15-13, she won a rally which lasted 43 shots. But you certainly cannot miss the enthralling 73 shot rally! which helped the Indian to stay alive in the title contention. With 22-20 being the scoreline for the second game, it was now time for the decider!
In the third game, the series of long rallies continued. Both of them showed no signs of giving up despite the fatigue. Each and every point was fought hard. If one brushed ahead, another one equalized at the next point. The fact that the game itself lasted a good 46 points is an indication of the intense battle.
After match handshake
They’ve certainly added so much glitter to the beauty of this game. Even though Nozomi prevailed in the end, PV Sindhu is no less than a winner.
I am upset. In the third game, it was anybody’s game at 20-all. Everybody aims for gold and I was there very close but that last moment changed everything. She is not an easy player. -PV Sindhu
I am extremely delighted to become World Champion and I thank everyone for supporting me. It was a very tough match and I am very tired. -Nozomi Okuhara
The emergence of Silver Starred Sindhu:
After a year of her silver medal win at the Rio Olympic games in 2016, the Hyderabadi girl is still going strong. She has stepped up to the occasion at crucial junctures which have been the key to her success. Now, Sindhu has added another medal to her ever growing kitty, bettering the previous two bronze medals at the Worlds.
A Silver lining for Sindhu
Not to forget, even Saina Nehwal had fought hard to take home a medal in this edition. Especially after recovering from the knee surgery which she had undergone off-late. She lost to Okuhara in the semis, who eventually went on to become the World Champion. The Japanese had an impressive run throughout the tournament beating the defending champion Carolina Marin and of course PV Sindhu.
From left: Chen Yu Fei, Saina Nehwal, Nozomi Okuhara and PV Sindhu
However the result might be, the whole country was proud of their achievements. From film-stars to sportsperson and PM Modi congratulated the two girls and wished them luck for their future competitions!