Pusarla Venkata Sindhu—India’s trailblazing badminton star and the nation’s only female athlete to have won two Olympic medals—will stride with pride alongside veteran table tennis maestro Sharath Kamal, carrying the tri-colour at the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony on the River Seine on Friday, 26 July.
Two days later, on 28 July, Sindhu will step onto the courts at Porte de la Chapelle Arena, aiming for a historic third Olympic medal. With a silver from the 2016 Rio Games and a bronze from the 2020 Tokyo edition, Sindhu has become the emblem of Indian badminton and a medal in Paris would etch her name in history as the first Indian to claim three individual Olympic medals.
Reflecting on her Olympic journey, Sindhu shared, “It’s always a new feeling when I play in the Olympics. In 2016, I was the underdog, and there was no pressure. In Tokyo, there was pressure and everyone wanted me to get a medal but there were no crowds. So, I have experienced two different kinds of Olympics. This time it’s a mixture of both. Everytime I go out there, I want to get a medal and hopefully I will get a hat-trick soon.”
As she embarks on her quest for a coveted medal, let's delve into the challenging path the 29-year-old will traverse to achieve glory:
Who Are PV Sindhu's Group-Stage Opponents?
Seeded 10th in women’s singles at the Paris Olympics, Sindhu’s journey will kick off on Sunday in Group M. Her group includes Estonia's Kristin Kuuba (World No. 75) and Maldives' Fathimath Nabaaha Abdul Razzaq (World No. 111), whom Sindhu defeated in the Round of 32 at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. This favourable draw gives Sindhu a chance to regain her form against lower-ranked opponents before heading into the Round of 16.
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What Has Sindhu’s Road to Paris Been Like?
Known for her ability to rise above any slump when it comes to major tournaments, PV Sindhu enters the 2024 Games following a less impressive buildup than in her previous Olympic appearances.
After clinching gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Sindhu was sidelined for an extended period due to a persistent knee injury, and she hasn’t won a title since. The year 2024 began with promise, as she played a pivotal role in securing gold for India at the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships.
However, her individual performance this year has been fraught with challenges. Returning from her knee injury in February, Sindhu faced early setbacks, including two losses at the Badminton Asia Team Championships in Malaysia. Her struggles continued with a defeat in the Malaysia Masters finals in May and an early exit in the Singapore Open's round of 16. June saw her suffer a surprising first-round defeat at the Indonesia Open.
Despite these hurdles, Sindhu remains confident. She believes she has made significant improvements in her game, and she is determined to showcase this progress when she competes in Paris.
We’ve been strategising… If I top the group then the pre-quarterfinal is going to be the most important. Prakash sir keeps telling me and of course Agus (coach) and I have been working on it as well. So, it’s not just that I keep playing rallies but I need to be smart enough to strategize and keep changing every single time. There’s a lot of improvement. You will see it on court.PV Sindhu
Who Are Sindhu’s Key Opponents in Paris?
He Bingjiao (China)
Sindhu’s first significant challenge is expected to come in the pre-quarterfinals, where she may face the sixth-seeded He Bingjiao from China.
Sindhu previously defeated Bingjiao in the bronze medal match at the Tokyo Olympics with scores of 21-13, 21-15. However, Sindhu’s form has fluctuated since then, while Bingjiao has significantly improved.
In their most recent encounter at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, Bingjiao emerged victorious, and the Chinese shuttler holds a slight edge with an 11-9 record in their closely contested matchups over the years.
Chen Yu Fei (China)
If Sindhu manages to surpass He Bingjiao in the pre-quarterfinals, she will face another formidable Chinese opponent in the quarterfinals: Chen Yu Fei, the reigning gold medalist and second seed.
The two players have each claimed six victories over the other, but the Chinese may enter this match as the favourite. Yu Fei has been in exceptional form, recently defeating World No. 1 An Se-young in the final of the Indonesian Open, while Sindhu faced a first-round exit there.
After falling to Sindhu in the semi-finals of the World Championships in 2017 and 2019, Yu Fei has since triumphed in their last three encounters. Overcoming this challenge will be a significant test for Sindhu, as she seeks to navigate this tough Chinese hurdle.
Carolina Marin (Spain)
To overcome the formidable Chinese shuttlers in the pre-quarter and quarters, Sindhu will need to perform at her absolute best. Should she manage this, she could set up a highly anticipated semi-final clash with her long-time rival, fourth-seeded Carolina Marin.
The Rio Olympics gold medalist, who was sidelined from the Tokyo Games due to a knee injury, has faced her own challenges, much like Sindhu. Despite this, Marin holds a clear advantage with an 11-5 head-to-head record over Sindhu.
In their last six encounters, Marin has emerged victorious each time. Yet, their most recent showdown at the Singapore Open in May was a nail-biter, with Sindhu falling just short 22-20.
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