PV Sindhu Calls Paris Defeat One of the Toughest Losses of Her Career.

Badminton Paris Olympics 2024

Posted 3 months ago

PV Sindhu Calls Paris Defeat One of the Toughest Losses of Her Career.

PV Sindhu’s Paris Olympics campaign ended with a straight-game loss to China's world number nine, He Bingjiao, in the women’s singles pre-quarterfinals on Thursday.

The 29-year-old from Hyderabad was seen as India's top hope for an Olympic medal and also had the honor of representing the nation at the opening ceremony.

Sindhu shared her disappointment over missing out on a medal in a social media post. On X, she wrote, "The journey to Paris 2024 was tough, with two years of injuries and time away from the game. Despite the challenges, representing my wonderful country at a third Olympics makes me feel truly blessed."

Sindhu, who won silver and bronze at the Rio and Tokyo Olympics, topped her group to reach the knockout stage in Paris.

Reflecting on her defeat, she noted, "I should have been more careful with my defense." Despite intensive preparation, including a training camp in Germany and working with mentor Prakash Padukone, Sindhu felt she did her best and left the rest to fate.

In the opening game, Bingjiao quickly led 5-1 as Sindhu struggled with defensive errors and execution.

The Chinese player used flat pushes to keep Sindhu on the defensive, and Sindhu's deep returns often went wide or long, resulting in an 8-3 lead for Bingjiao.