FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
nationthailand

Badminton gold at last for India's indefatigable Sindhu

Badminton gold at last for India's indefatigable Sindhu

P.V. Sindhu celebrated gold at last after the Indian defeated Japan's Nozomi Okuhara to win badminton's season-ending World Tour Finals on Sunday.

 

The 23-year-old has suffered a series of near-misses in recent years, winning silver at the 2016 Rio Olympics, and again at the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games this year.

The world number six, renowned for her never-say-die attitude, has also twice lost in the final of the World Championships and was runner-up in last year's season finale.

But she put all that heartbreak behind her in the Chinese city of Guangzhou, beating the fifth-ranked Okuhara 21-19, 21-17 in the women's final in just over an hour.

Sindhu, who was always in control of the match, sealed the championship with a forehand smash, before collapsing to the court floor on her hands and knees.

The men's final later Sunday tees up the two top players in the world, top-ranked Kento Momota of Japan against number two and home star Shi Yuqi.

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