It was a heartbreaking sight when Badminton champion P.V. Sindhu was defeated by Tai Tzu Ying who is world’s number one, BWF World Badminton Championships in women’s singles quarterfinals. Sindhu was hoping to preserve the title she had previously won in 2019. However, shuttler P.V. Sindhu found it tough to match the opponent in terms of speed, court coverage and drop shots.
Badminton champion Kidambi Srikanth defeated Dutch player Mark Caljouw by 21-8, 21-7. Srikanth confirmed a medal at the 2021 BWF World Championships with this victory. This win would also count as India’s third medal at a showpiece event in men’s singles. Srikanth maintained his hegemony and finished the Game by 21-7. Caljouw tried to follow up but was outshined by Srikanth.
Also, Lakshya Sen has become India’s youngest badminton player to enter the BWF Championship semifinals. Sen dominated the Chinese opponent Zhao Jun Pen displayed impressive court presence.
HS Prannoy pulled off a pinch to make it to the quarterfinals of the BWF World Crowns 2021. He now joins PV Sindhu, Kidambi Srikanth and Lakshya Sen in the Round of eight season-ending events in Huelva, Spain. Prannoy rallied to beat Rasmus Gemke 16-21, 21-8, 22-20 in a grand battle. After an hour and 16 twinkles, the Indian shuttler took off his shirt and screamed in celebration as he beat Gemke for the first time in three attempts.
He is one of the most cerebral players worldwide, an original. He has negotiated enough tough draw in the lower type. The Indian shuttler was best known for ousting Lin Dan from his last World Championship in 2019. But reaching the quarterfinals is his closest trace of an order.
The prestigious event of the BWF Championship will be held in Huelva, Spain, from 12th to 19th December 2021. The Indians have pleasant recollections of contending in the event in the recent history, having medalled in each edition starting from 2011. The country returned with two medals in the former edition when PV Sindhu became the first Indian to culminate the World Champion and a citation and a quotation from Sai Praneeth.
The Badminton World contest 2021 will see an aggregate of 25 Indians.
Technical aspects of the Game
Recreational badminton is one of the most loved popular outdoor activities during summers. Competitive badminton is mostly preferred indoors as even the slightest winds can change the shuttlecock’s direction. A rectangular court measures 44 by 17 feet for singles and 20 feet wide for doubles. A 5 feet net is placed at the centre of the court.
Also, there is a requirement for clear space of nearly 4 feet around the court. The badminton game involves mainly hitting the shuttlecock back and forth without letting it touch the ground within the boundaries of the court.
At the International level, players compete in the best of three games matches. Usually, every Game is played upto 21 points, provided the winner has an edge of at least 2 points. In case 2 point edge is not reached, anyone scoring 30 points first is declared the winner. Till 2006points were given only to the serving side, after which BWF introduced the “rally scoring system ” wherein either side could score at any time.
