Badminton: Top five achievements of Indian starlet PV Sindhu

The shuttler has achieved some remarkable feats in her career.

PV Sindhu is a household name when it comes to the sport of Badminton in India. She is popular all over the country for her performances on the national and international stage. 

The 25-year-old has a lot of years ahead of her. She will continue to represent India at the highest level. However, the World No.7 has already received accolades for top-level performances and big achievements in her career yet.

She continues to inspire women of the country and young aspiring athletes to take up the sport as a full-time career. Keeping her contribution to the sport in mind here are five of her biggest achievements in Badminton:

5. Gold in 2019 World Championships

PV Sindhu clinched the gold medal at the BWF World Championships in Switzerland held in 2019. The shuttler defeated a strong Nozomi Okuhara of Japan in straight games by a score of 21-7, 21-7 to clinch the title.

She is the reigning world champion since the tournament was not held in 2020 due to the global pandemic. Sindhu became the first woman ever to become a world champion from India, thus creating history. 

4. Silver in 2018 Asian Games

Sindhu has won several medals in many international meets such as the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games. One of her most notable wins was the silver medal in the 2018 Asian Games, held in Jakarta.

Third-seeded Sindhu eventually lost to the World No.1 Tai Tzu Ying of Taiwan. This was another historical event as Sindhu became the first female shuttler to win a silver medal in the Asian Games for India. 

3. Second female athlete to win five or more medals at World Championships

PV Sindhu’s performance in the BWF World Championships has been commendable throughout her career. Apart from winning the gold in 2019, She is only second to Zhang Ning of China for winning five or more medals at the World Championships.

In addition to her gold in 2019, the star Indian shuttler has won two bronze medals (2013, 2014) & two silver medals (2017, 2018). 

2. National awards

The Hyderabad-born player has been conferred with several national awards for her achievements. She was graced with the highest sporting honour of the country Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna in 2016, a recognition of her contribution to sports and representation of the country on the international stage. 

Moreover, she has also received fourth and third highest civilian awards in India, the Padma Shri in 2015 and Padma Bhushan in 2020 respectively.

1. Silver in 2016 Rio Olympics

Former World No.2 PV Sindhu is the first Indian badminton player to reach a final in the Olympics. She won a silver in the 2016 Olympic Games held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 

Sindhu lost the final to Spain’s sensational Carolina Marin, one of Sindhu’s fiercest rivals on the international circuit. She is also only the second Indian badminton player to finish on the podium in the Olympics, after Saina Nehwal secured a bronze in the 2012 London Olympics.

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