Indian badminton player PV Sidhu made history in the Tokyo Olympics 2021 as some of the Indian Olympians, including archer Deepika Kumari, shooter Manu Bhaker, and boxers Mary Kom and Amit Panghal recorded dismal performances. Sindhu has clinched her second medal in the Games.
Sindhu, who had won a silver medal in Rio in 2016, defeated China’s He Bingjiao in straight games to bag a bronze medal at the Musashino Forest Sport Plaza in the Japanese capital. She is now the second Indian after Wrestler Sushil Kumar to win back-to-back medals at the Olympics. Sushil Kumar won a bronze in Beijing followed by a silver medal at the London Olympics in 2012.
Sindhu was off to a flying start in the match as she raced to a 14-8 lead in the opening game with relative ease. Sidhu employed an ultra-aggressive strategy to dominate the proceedings from all four corners of the court. From picture perfect smashes to delicate drop shots to great angles, Sindhu showed off the entire repertoire of her craft against the Chinese opponent, eventually capturing the first game 21-13 in just 23 minutes.
In the second game, Sindhu’s defence and variations caused more problems for the 24-year-old Chinese, who simply buckled to the Indian’s play throughout the clash.
Sindhu’s all-out attack continued to pay rich dividends as she didn’t let her challenger put any kind of pressure back on her.
He tried to mount a comeback midway through the second game, it was countered by the star Indian shuttler.
Sindhu altered her tactics when she sensed that He was desperate to make a match of it. She slowed down the game, and tired her opponent down in the rallies as she moved her around from one side to the other.
In the end, it turned out to be an absolute masterclass from Sindhu as she wrapped up a comfortable win in 53 minutes. With 21-13, 21-15, Sidhu triumphed over her Chinese opponent.