Asian Games 2018: PV Sindhu creates history, ensures first-ever silver in badminton

PV Sindhu created history by becoming the first Indian shuttler to reach the women’s singles final at the Asian Games when she defeated Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi in Jakarta on Monday.

The 23-year old clinched the match 21-17, 15-21, 21-10 in 66 minutes against the World No. 2.

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Earlier, Saina Nehwal became the first Indian woman shuttler to claim singles medal at the Asian Games when she went down fighting against World No. 1 Tai Tzu Ying 17-21, 14-21 in the other semifinal.

It was also the first singles medals in badminton after the 1982 Games when Syed Modi won the bronze. Before Asian Games 2018, India had won eight badminton



medals and six of them are in team events and one in men’s doubles and one in men’s singles. 

In the quarterfinals, Sindhu defeated past world number 12 Nitchaon Jindapol 21-11, 16-21, 21-14.

Sindhu is already the first Indian to reach the final of an Olympics—a feat she achieved in the 2016 Rio Games—and the first from the country to reach two World Championship finals.

The year 2018 has been all about close shaves for Sindhu as she finished runners-up on four different occasions. She was defeated in the finals of India Open, Thailand Open, Commonwealth Games and recently at the World Championships where she was defeated by Spain’s Carolina Marin in the summit clash.