The game ended 21-19 12-21 15-21. To the world, India had lost the gold medal, but to 1.3 billion individuals India had won silver and to over 7 billion in the world India's 21 year old P.V.Sindhu had won their hearts with her display of sportsmanship after losing the final point.
With the exit of London 2012 Bronze medalist Saina Newhal in the group stages, the burden of landing a medal in badminton fell on the young 21 year old P.V.Sindhu's shoulders.
She entered Rio ranked at no.10 in the world and no one would have even expected her to reach the quarter finals, based on her ranking.
However Sindhu continued to defy the odds and notched up memorable wins against higher ranked opponents such as World no.2 and London 2012 Silver medallist Wang Yihan and World no.6 and reigning All England Chanpion Nozomi Okuhara.
She reached the gold medal clash and the nation dared to dream. Standing between her and glory was World no.1 and World Champion, Spain's Carolina Marin.
With nothing to lose whatsoever all the pressure was on Carolina's shoulders and she felt it. The way she threw away a 16-19 lead in the first game to lose it 21-19 was a sign of her nerves. They get to the most seasoned athletes and this was a clash between 2 first time Olympians.
Score: India 1-0 Spain.
People who had their doubts too began to believe. She was a minimum of 21 points away.
The changeover between games lead to a discussion with her coach and Marin stepped out like a caged animal unleashed and wrecked havoc in the 1st half of the 2nd game with smashes, deceptive lobs, net dribbles and headed to the mid game break with a 11-2 lead. The next 20 points were competitive with both players winning 10 each but that wasn't enough to overcome the 9 point deficit.
Score: India 1-1 Spain
The momentum was with Carolina Marin. She was making amazing line calls to leave the shuttle and was finishing off points with unseen sharpness at every opportunity that she got.
She carried on the same level of intense play into the final game and stormed to a 9-3 lead. only to get pegged back to 10-10, but crucially won the 21st point of the game to take a 11-10 lead into the break and with it held the psychological advantage over her opponent.
It was anyone's game now as there was just a point in it. Sindhu had been down 6-11 in the first game and had made a successful comeback. True to her ranking Marin kept playing her game and luck favoured her. She took a 20-14 lead and had 6 championship points. 1 was duly saved by Sindhu, but the inevitable could only be delayed for so long as Marin claimed the match, and the gold medal on the next point.
Score: India 1-2 Spain
P.V.Sindhu had gone down fighting. She was the only player in the Olympics to win a game against Carolina Marin.
Indians felt a moment of disappointment after the match as it was once again that feel of 'so close yet so far' from Sushil kumar's Silver 4 years ago. After the first game many of them had claimed, "1 down, 1 to go. Halfway there."
While the world thinks of it as an almost, it isn't an almost. This silver is a spectacular achievement. It came on a day where Indian Wrestler Narsingh Yadav was handed a 4 year ban for doping thus depriving him and the nation a chance at a medal. The nation was furious at the late appeal. The Silver medal is the best return by any member of the Indian Contingent in this edition of the Olympics(till now)and also the best ever return in the sport of Badminton , eclipsing compatriot Saina Newhal's bronze, 4 years ago. It is the best placed finish by an Indian woman (the previous 4 women medallists from India
2000: Karnam Malleswari- weightlifting
2012: Saina Nehwal- Badminton
2012: Mary Kom - Boxing
2016: Sakshi Malik- Wrestling
had all won Bronze)
P.V.Sindhu at the age of 21, with her win also became the youngest individual medallist from India.
She went for gold, she hit silver . She punched way above expectations and broke glass ceilings. A proud nation awaits the return of its youngest ever Individual Olympic Medallist.
It was a Silver to the world, but in the eyes of every single Indian it is a gold.
Congratulations to the golden girl, Olympic Silver medallist P.V.Sindhu !!
With the exit of London 2012 Bronze medalist Saina Newhal in the group stages, the burden of landing a medal in badminton fell on the young 21 year old P.V.Sindhu's shoulders.
She entered Rio ranked at no.10 in the world and no one would have even expected her to reach the quarter finals, based on her ranking.
However Sindhu continued to defy the odds and notched up memorable wins against higher ranked opponents such as World no.2 and London 2012 Silver medallist Wang Yihan and World no.6 and reigning All England Chanpion Nozomi Okuhara.
She reached the gold medal clash and the nation dared to dream. Standing between her and glory was World no.1 and World Champion, Spain's Carolina Marin.
With nothing to lose whatsoever all the pressure was on Carolina's shoulders and she felt it. The way she threw away a 16-19 lead in the first game to lose it 21-19 was a sign of her nerves. They get to the most seasoned athletes and this was a clash between 2 first time Olympians.
Score: India 1-0 Spain.
People who had their doubts too began to believe. She was a minimum of 21 points away.
The changeover between games lead to a discussion with her coach and Marin stepped out like a caged animal unleashed and wrecked havoc in the 1st half of the 2nd game with smashes, deceptive lobs, net dribbles and headed to the mid game break with a 11-2 lead. The next 20 points were competitive with both players winning 10 each but that wasn't enough to overcome the 9 point deficit.
Score: India 1-1 Spain
The momentum was with Carolina Marin. She was making amazing line calls to leave the shuttle and was finishing off points with unseen sharpness at every opportunity that she got.
She carried on the same level of intense play into the final game and stormed to a 9-3 lead. only to get pegged back to 10-10, but crucially won the 21st point of the game to take a 11-10 lead into the break and with it held the psychological advantage over her opponent.
It was anyone's game now as there was just a point in it. Sindhu had been down 6-11 in the first game and had made a successful comeback. True to her ranking Marin kept playing her game and luck favoured her. She took a 20-14 lead and had 6 championship points. 1 was duly saved by Sindhu, but the inevitable could only be delayed for so long as Marin claimed the match, and the gold medal on the next point.
Score: India 1-2 Spain
P.V.Sindhu had gone down fighting. She was the only player in the Olympics to win a game against Carolina Marin.
Indians felt a moment of disappointment after the match as it was once again that feel of 'so close yet so far' from Sushil kumar's Silver 4 years ago. After the first game many of them had claimed, "1 down, 1 to go. Halfway there."
While the world thinks of it as an almost, it isn't an almost. This silver is a spectacular achievement. It came on a day where Indian Wrestler Narsingh Yadav was handed a 4 year ban for doping thus depriving him and the nation a chance at a medal. The nation was furious at the late appeal. The Silver medal is the best return by any member of the Indian Contingent in this edition of the Olympics(till now)and also the best ever return in the sport of Badminton , eclipsing compatriot Saina Newhal's bronze, 4 years ago. It is the best placed finish by an Indian woman (the previous 4 women medallists from India
2000: Karnam Malleswari- weightlifting
2012: Saina Nehwal- Badminton
2012: Mary Kom - Boxing
2016: Sakshi Malik- Wrestling
had all won Bronze)
P.V.Sindhu at the age of 21, with her win also became the youngest individual medallist from India.
She went for gold, she hit silver . She punched way above expectations and broke glass ceilings. A proud nation awaits the return of its youngest ever Individual Olympic Medallist.
It was a Silver to the world, but in the eyes of every single Indian it is a gold.
Congratulations to the golden girl, Olympic Silver medallist P.V.Sindhu !!
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