HYDERABAD: There are some encounters in sports that transcend the results. The most recent example could be the women’s singles final in the World Badminton Championships between PV Sindhu and Nozomi Okuhara. The Japanese etched her name in history by becoming the first woman champion from her country after an intensely fought battle in the final. Years down the line, those who saw the game might still remember the 73-shot rally, which Sindhu won.
Back in the city after the final and proudly displaying her silver medal, Sindhu said the rally was physically and mentally taxing. “It was tiring for both the players. But considering the humongous occasion, I just thought I had to get that point,” a much relaxed Sindhu said on Tuesday.
At 13-13 in the final game, there was one more rally of 42 shots, which was also won by the Indian. The match lasted an hour and 50 minutes and Sindhu looked exhausted towards the end. “You see, no one wants to give away points easily. One has to fight for each point,” the 22-year-old noted.
Reiterating his protege, chief national coach Pullela Gopichand said the fitness level of players across the world has gone up. “We are fortunate that players like Saina (Nehwal) and Sindhu have boosted their fitness,” Gopichand said. The gold remained elusive, but Gopichand was positive about better showings in the future. “We will see her win many gold in the future. She has already won so many medals at such a young age.”
After Saina’s coach, Vimal Kumar, raised objections about television dictating scheduling of matches, Gopichand said that players need to get used to it. “Even her (Sindhu) semifinal was in the night session on Saturday. It was well past midnight when she went to bed, and the final was in the morning. Sometimes these things affect you when you need extra energy in a big match. But a player need to get used to this, as it is just as important.”
The lanky shuttler expressed her disappointment at missing out on the biggest prize, but said she was not upset anymore. “I was upset after the match ended. But gradually, I sensed relief as I said to myself ‘at least it is over now’. In a while, everything was back to normal. We clicked pictures with the medal and celebrated. I am very satisfied that I converted my two bronze medals at the World Championship into silver this time,” added the played ranked fourth in the world. All said and done, she will soon be back to the grind for the next challenge.
Slaying China
Sindhu defeated two Chinese shuttlers — Sun Yu and Chen Yufei — en route to her final appearance. “It was just that I played my best. Everybody has different style of play. It is not that the Chinese are something different. Even they played well. Overall, the Chinese players have a different style.”
110
Nozomi Okuhara vs PV Sindhu broke the record for the longest women’s singles match in the rally-point era — 110 minutes. It included a mammoth 73-shot rally in the second game of the match.
vishal@newindianexpress.com