Ankle injury for PV SINDHU
Olympic medalist PV Sindhu missed this year’s edition of the Badminton world championships after pulling out of the tournament due to an ankle injury.
With 5 medals, including the gold in 2019, PV Sindhu is a colossal figure in the BWF’s most prestigious and competitive tournament, but an ankle injury enroute to a maiden Commonwealth Games title triumph dashed her hopes of traveling to the Japanese capital
This left the task of continuing India’s impressive run in the tournament on the young shoulders of Lakshya, and the experienced duo of Prannoy and Kidambi Srikanth. The country has not returned empty-handed from the world since the 2011 edition.
It was Srikant and Lakshya, who had ensured India’s presence at the podium in 2021 when they finished with a silver and a bronze, respectively, but the field this time will be much stronger than last year.
It was a depleted field in 2021 with Japan’s Kento Momota, and the Indonesian duo of Jonatan Christie and Anthony Ginting missing out. But there had been no such withdrawal this time.
Brimming with confidence following his CWG gold on debut, Lakshya has been on a sensational run this season and will go into the top event as one of the favorites.
The 20-year-old who was left crestfallen after not being able to go the distance in Spain will look to complete his unfinished business when he opens against Danish veteran Hans-Kristian Solberg Vittinghus.
Lakshya’s stocks have been rising ever since he returned from Huelva in December as he won a maiden super 500 title at India open, finished with silver at all England Championships, before joining hands with
Srikanth and Prannoy to earn India its maiden Thomas cup win in May.
However, the trio will turn foe this week after being clubbed in the same quarter.
Lakshya, seeded ninth, might clash with Prannoy in the third round of the senior pro manages to get past former world number one and second seed Momota in the second round.
All eyes will also be o Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, who claimed India’s first gold medal in men’s doubles at the CWG earlier this month
PV SINDHU:
Pusarla Venkata Sindhu was born on 5 July 1995 is an Indian badminton player. Considered one of India’s most successful sportspersons.
Sindhu has won medals at various tournaments such as the Olympics and on the BWF circuit, including a gold at the 2019 World Championships.
She is the first and only Indian to become the badminton world champion and only the second individual athlete from India to win two consecutive medals at the Olympic Games.
Sindhu broke into the top 20 of the BWF World Rankings in September 2012, at the age of 17.
She has won a total of five medals at the BWF World Championships and is just the second woman after China’s Zhang Ning ever to win five or more singles medals in the competition.
She represented India at the 2016 Summer Olympics (Rio), where she became the first Indian badminton player to reach the Olympic final.
She won the silver medal after losing out to Spain’s Carolina Marin. She made her second consecutive Olympic appearance at the 2020 Summer Olympics (Tokyo) and won a bronze medal, becoming the first-ever Indian woman to win two Olympic medals.
Sindhu won her first superseries title at the 2016 China Open and followed it up with four more finals in 2017, winning the titles in South Korea and India.
In addition to that, she is the reigning Commonwealth Games champion and has won three consecutive singles medals at the Commonwealth Games, a silver medal at the Asian Games, and two bronze medals at the Uber Cup.
With earnings of US$8.5 million, $5.5 million and $7.2 million respectively, Sindhu made the Forbes’ list of Highest-Paid Female Athletes in 2018, 2019 and 2021.
She is a recipient of the sports honors Arjuna Award and Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna, as well as India’s fourth highest civilian award, the Padma Shri, and the third highest civilian award, the Padma Bhushan.
Sindhu has been employed with Bharat Petroleum since July 2013, as an assistant sports manager with their Hyderabad office. Following her silver-medal win at the Rio Olympics, she was promoted to deputy sports manager.
She was appointed as the first brand ambassador of Bridgestone India. She was appointed as the Deputy Collector (Group-I) by the Andhra Pradesh government in July 2017, and she took charge later in August.
She was the flag bearer for the Indian contingent in the opening ceremony of the 2018 Commonwealth Games and 2022 Commonwealth Games.
