From Prakash Padukone to PV Sindhu & Okay Srikanth, checklist of Indian medallists

From 1983, India needed to wait 28 years for a medal on the badminton World Championships. Prakash Padukone’s bronze medal in Copenhagen got here not lengthy after a pivotal All England title in 1980 for the all-time Indian nice. However success at this occasion after that proved elusive. Pullela Gopichand got here shut in 2001, Anup Sridhar in 2007 and Saina Nehwal in 2009 and 2010… however a spot on the rostrum was to not be.

That will change in 2011, due to Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa. Since then, India have had at the least one medallist in each version of the match.

The match may not have been essentially the most coveted within the early days, with All England Open and Olympics (since 1992) maybe taking that spot. However within the present period, alongside the aforementioned occasions, the World Championships stands because the true marker of high quality within the badminton world. The perfect of one of the best descend in a metropolis yearly aside from Olympic years to find out who’s the highest of the rung.

The primary World Championships have been held in 1977 in Malmo. The World Championships started as a triennial occasion in 1977, changing into biennial after the third version. It has since turn out to be an annual occasion after 2005, taking a break solely throughout every Olympic 12 months. 2021 was an exception as we noticed each Olympic Video games and Worlds in the identical 12 months (as Tokyo 2020 needed to be postponed).

Now in 2022, we’re again in Tokyo (completely different area) for the twenty seventh version. And maybe surprisingly, for the primary time ever in Japan.

India’s first medal on the match, as with many firsts within the nation’s badminton historical past, got here courtesy Prakash Padukone. The unique famous person of Indian badminton, Padukone’s greatest achievement stays the 1980 All England, however his bronze in 1983 was additionally a particular achievement in a particular profession.

The Worlds returned to Europe in 1983 for the third version after heading to Asia (Jakarta 1980). Bronby Hallen in Copenhagen was offered out lengthy earlier than the finals in anticipation of victories by native stars Morten Frost and Lene Koppen. This was the primary World Championships since China’s admission into the IBF (the governing physique again then) and the newcomers instantly made their presence felt within the girls’s occasions. Li Lingwei beat compatriot Han Aiping for the Ladies’s Singles crown, whereas Wu Dixi/Liu Ying overcame defending champions Perry/Webster. Nevertheless, it was the Males’s Singles showdown that took everybody’s breath away, being hailed one of many best matches ever. Indonesian teenager Icuk Sugiarto (4) upset Frost and Prakash Padukone en path to the ultimate towards Liem Swie King. It was a superb exhibition between the attacking aptitude of King and the astounding defence of Sugiarto – the latter thwarting the big-hitting King for the world crown: 15-8 12-15 17-16

— through BWF Media

Additionally learn:

Why Prakash Padukone’s All England title in 1980 was the crowning second of an excellent profession

Pause, rewind, play: When Prakash Padukone gained All England 1980, Indian badminton modified eternally

The run begins in 2011

The ladies’s doubles bronze in London 2011 was really particular for India. First, it ended a close to three-decade for a medal on the Worlds. Secondly, it was the primary main doubles medal for India. And until date, the one doubles medal of any variety on the the Worlds.

Ashwini-Jwala, having paired as much as win a well-known gold on the 2010 Commonwealth Video games, produced a dream run in London, defeating two seeded pairs on the best way to the semifinals, the place they misplaced to the eventual silver medallists.

The win towards second seeds Cheng Wen Hsing and Chien Yu Chin was essentially the most spectacular of the match for the Indian doubles pair.

World Championships is a match that has had a particular place within the profession of PV Sindhu, and the journey began with a superb bronze in 2013. She defeated two prime Chinese language gamers – Wang Yihan and Wang Shixian – in their very own yard in Guangzhou.

Pause, rewind, play: PV Sindhu’s 2013 World C’ship bronze medal was the beginning of one thing particular

Sindhu would go on to win one other bronze in 2014.

Then got here Saina Nehwal’s historic run in 2015, as she grew to become the primary Indian shuttler ever to succeed in the ultimate of the World Championships. And fittingly, it got here at a venue the place she has had some memorable outcomes: Jakarta’s Istora.

Pause, rewind, play: When a 19-year-old Saina Nehwal gained her first Superseries title in Indonesia

The London 2012 Olympics bronze medallist was the second seed of the occasion and her stiffest take a look at got here within the quarterfinals when she needed to overcome a well-recognized rival in Wang Yihan in three video games. Earlier than 2015, Saina had defeated Wang solely as soon as (when the Chinese language shuttler retired mid-match) in 10 conferences. However 2015 noticed the Indian star defeat Wang first at All England after which in a 62-minute marathon on the Worlds to make sure her first medal of the occasion. A Chinese language shuttler had ended her hopes of a podium end in 2009 and 2010. However not this time, not in Jakarta.

The title would go to prime seed Carolina Marin however that was one other memorable first in Indian badminton historical past, courtesy Saina.

Glasgow 2017 was the primary time that India gained two medals at one version. And who can overlook that 12 months. The 2 crown jewels of Indian badminton – Saina and Sindhu – each reached semifinals. They have been each assured a spot on the rostrum.

Whereas Saina’s run got here to an finish there, dropping to eventual champion Nozomi Okuhara, Sindhu carried on. A win towards Chen Yufei took her to the ultimate and… what a closing it was. Sindhu and Okuhara performed one of many best badminton matches of all time, one which veteran commentator Gill Clark remembers until date and mentions so every so often on air. A bodily, emotional rollercoaster that deserved no loser noticed Sindhu end second finest towards Okuhara, who ended a Japanese wait of many years for a gold on the occasion.

Brutal rallies, drained limbs, triumphant spirit: Okuhara vs Sindhu was a match for the ages

And this rally… who can overlook this rally?

After which, after successful three World Championships medals in her profession, Sindhu would attain the ultimate but once more in 2018. If she and Okuhara produced a battle for the ages in 2017, it was Marin who dominated the ultimate this time round successful 21-19, 21-10. Sindhu’s fourth medal of the match had a bittersweet feeling to it.

“It’s very simple to deal with the final match, forgetting concerning the nice semi-final [against Akane Yamaguchi], quarter-final [against Okuhara] and pre-quarterfinal [against Sung Ji Hyun],” Gopichand would remind reporters in Hyderabad after consecutive silver medals for Sindhu.

“She has put in loads of good work and credit score to her for preventing again in quarters and semis. The psychological power she confirmed in semis and quarters is what we should always keep in mind earlier than bisecting the ultimate as a standalone. That’s what I’d need Sindhu to suppose, as a result of it’s simple to overlook the nice work and deal with negatives,” he added.

Gopichand, on the finish of her defeat in Glasgow, had stated that he would remorse that defeat towards Okuhara provided that Sindhu completed her profession with out a gold on the Worlds. Will she?

She gained’t.

Basel 2019. The match that Sindhu may probably regard as one of the best ever in her profession. Positive, two Olympic medals are nice however to win gold on the World Championships is particular… and to win it the best way she did is extraordinary. A sensational fightback towards Tai Tzu Ying within the quarterfinals, a scientific efficiency towards Chen Yu Fei within the semifinals after which, in a whole distinction to the slugfest of 2017, a demolition of Okuhara 21-7, 21-7 within the closing. Sindhu, World Champion. The primary ever Indian shuttler to realize that feat.

Pause, rewind, play: When India’s PV Sindhu grew to become badminton champion of the world

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Reliving PV Sindhu’s historic run at Basel 2019 to win India’s first ever gold medal on the badminton world championships.

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Basel additionally noticed one other lengthy wait finish for India with B Sai Praneeth changing into the primary Indian since Padukone to succeed in the rostrum in males’s singles. After Sindhu’s fightback towards Tai Tzu Ying in girls’s singles quarterfinals, Sai Praneeth then ended India’s 36-year await a males’s singles medal with a 24-22, 21-14 win over Asian Video games gold medallist Jonatan Christie of Indonesia.

[Archive]: Sindhu and Sai Praneeth’s historic run makes Basel 2019 a pleasing shock for India

2021 could be a uncommon blip for Sindhu at this occasion. Tai Tzu Ying would show too good for the Indian star within the quarterfinals. However Lakshya Sen and Srikanth Kidambi ensured India’s file of successful at the least one medal on the World Championships would proceed. Solely the marauding Loh Kean Yew had a greater match than the 2 Indians. Srikanth defeated Lakshya within the semifinals to turn out to be the primary Indian male shuttler to succeed in the ultimate of the World Championships.

Srikanth Kidambi and the significance of self-belief

In Lakshya Sen’s current, we are able to see a vivid future

For the second time within the historical past of the match, India had two medallists on the rostrum. Sindhu and Saina in Glasgow, Srikanth and Lakshya in Huelva.

Screenshots within the article courtesy: Event Software program

BWF World Championships from twenty second August will likely be broadcast on Sports18 1 SD & HD and streamed on Voot Choose in India