Bengaluru, Aug 19: It was a historic moment for India on Thursday (August 18) when PV Sindhu entered the final of women's singles badminton event at Rio Olympics 2016.
The 21-year-old Sindhu defeated Japan's Nozomi Okuhara 21-19, 21-10 in the semi-finals to set up a gold medal match with world number one Carolina Marin of Spain. Sindhu is assured of at least silver. (Sindhu's final start time in IST, TV info)
For the followers for badminton, Sindhu's name is familiar unlike others who are supporting her during the Olympics. She was always talented and rated highly. However, her more famous Hyderabad city-mate Saina Nehwal who grabbed headlines.
Before the start of Rio Olympics, all the focus on a medal from badminton was on Saina. However, due to injury, she exited from the group stages leaving Sindhu to carry the Indian flag in Brazil.
Sindhu, on way to the final in Rio Olympics, set records. In the history of Olympics, no Indian had managed to reach the final in badminton.
On Friday (August 19), she has a chance to improve her achievement. If she wins the final she will only be the second ever individual gold medallist in Olympics from India after shooter Abhinav Bindra (Beijing 2008).
Targets gold
""My target will be to win the gold and I will give my heart out. I feel I really worked hard each and every time. Everybody's aim is to get a medal at the Olympics, one more match to go. Definitely I feel that I've a chance.
"It's nothing like pressure. It's just that I have to give my 100 per cent. There's one more match to go, I'm really prepared for tomorrow's match. It's not going to be easy. She is a really tough opponent. It's the Olympic final, and she's playing really well. It depends who gives her best and does well will win the final tomorrow (August 19)," Sindhu said after her semi-final win.
BMW car to be gifted to Sindhu
Hyderabad District Badminton Association president V Chamundeswarnath will gift a BMW car to Sindhu for her Olympics achievement. Cricket icon will hand over the car to Sindhu after she returns to India, according to media reports on Friday (August 19).
"I had announced a BMW car to anyone from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh who would win a medal at Rio. I will honour it, and will be glad to present it to Sindhu," Chamundeswarnath was quoted as saying in "Deccan Chronicle".
Here is a brief profile of PV Sindhu
Full name: Pusarla Venkata Sindhu
Born: 5 July 1995 in Hyderabad
Height: 5 feet 9 inches
Plays right-handed
Languages known: Telugu, Hindi, English
Turned professional at 13 years os age
Started playing at the age of 8
Sindhu comes from a family of sportspersons. Both father (PV Ramana) and mother (P Vijaya) are former volleyball players
Coached by Pullela Gopichand at his academy in Hyderabad
First coach - Mehboob Ali
Current world ranking: No. 10
Major achievements
Singles titles - 6 - Indonesia International 2011, Malaysia Masters (2013, 2016), Macau Open (2013, 2014, 2015)
# Sindhu is the first Indian badminton player to reach final at Olympics
# She is only the 5th Indian female athlete to win an Olympics medal. The other four are Karnam Malleswari, Mary Kom, Saina Nehwal and Sakshi Malik
# At 21, Sindhu is the youngest female Olympic medallist from India
# Sindhu is the first Indian female athlete at Olympics to win a medal higher than bronze. The other four had won bronze. Sindhu is assured of silver
Bronze - World Championships 2013 (Guangzhou). She is the first Indian female player to win World Championships bronze medal
Bronze - World Championships 2014 (Copenhagen)
Bronze - Part of Indian team at Incheon Asian Games in 2014
Bronze (2) - Uber Cup team (New Delhi 2014, Kunshan 2016)
Bronze - Commonwealth Games 2014 (Singles category)
Bronze (2) - Asian Junior Championships (2011 Lucknow - Singles, Mixed Team)
Gold - Gimcheon 2012 (Singles)
Gold - Douglas 2011 (Singles)
Top honours
Padma Shri (2015)
Arjuna Award (2013)
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