PV Sindhu became World Champion OTD by beating Okuhara in 2019; Relive the historic moment

On August 25, 2019, PV Sindhu completed another milestone in Indian badminton by beating Japan's Nozomi Okuhara to win the country's first gold at the BWF World Championships. Not only did Sindhu become the only Indian shuttler to achieve this feat since the tournament's inception in 1977, but she also matched two-time Olympic gold medallist Zhang Ning’s record of five medals. Like Ning, the 25-year-old has also won two bronze, two silver and one gold. 

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PV Sindhu's historic gold at the World Badminton Championships

Sindhu started her tournament by facing Taiwan's Yu-Po Pai, who she beat with a 21-14, 21-15 score. She then faced American shuttler, Beiwan Zhang, in the pre-quarterfinals, who had previously beaten her at the India Open in 2018. Sindhu dominated the entire 34-minute clash, never letting her lead slip after the initial 5-5 tie during the first game. The 2016 Rio Olympics silver medallist gave away only six points, entering the quarter-finals after a 21-14, 21-6 victory.

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The World Champion faced Chinese Taipei's veteran Tai Tzu Ying for the quarter-finals, who had previously defeated her at the Asian Games finals in 2018. While Ying dominated the first game, Sindhu prevailed with a 12-21, 23-21, 21-19 victory after a hard-fought 71-minute match. Her next hurdle was China's Chen Yufei. Sindhu attacked from the first game, holding Yufei to seven points. Sindhu entered the finals in Basel with a 21-7, 21-14 win, making it her third consecutive finals appearance at the World Badminton Championships. 

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PV Sindhu vs Okuhara: Sindhu annihilates Nozomi Okuhara to bag India's first BWF World Championship gold

The Indian badminton superstar had reached the finals after countless finals appearances, having gained the "Silver Sindhu" tag, which she was eager to shed. “I wanted to win that final at any cost. I did not know how I would do it, but I knew that I had to achieve it,” Sindhu explained in an interview later. While Sindhu started her finals by conceding her first point to Nozomi Okuhara after a 22-shot rally, she maintained her momentum. The Indian shuttler sealed her victory (21-7, 21-7) with a down-the-line smash, making her the women’s singles world champion.

On the one-year anniversary of her win against Nozomi Okuhara, Sindhu spoke to Sportstar about her form and World Champion tag. “The tag of being a world champion for the second year does help me as I prepare to chase another goal – to win the Olympic gold next year,” Sindhu said. The Hyderabad-based athlete recently resumed training at SAI Pullula Gopichand Academy after the COVID-19-forced hiatus.

Despite a few disappointments after the World Championship, Sindhu is confident about her Olympics run. “I am working with my Korean coach Park Tae-Sang. I need to work harder to learn new strokes. I also need to learn from mistakes, try to rectify them to be a better player,” Sindhu added. She will next participate at the Thomas and Uber Cup in Denmark, which is scheduled from October 3, 2020. 

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(Image credits: BWF Twitter)