P V Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medalist, has secured her spot in the round of 16 at the Paris 2024 Olympics in women’s singles. Sindhu, who won silver at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016 and bronze in Tokyo five years later, topped Group M after a dominant performance. In her second and final group-stage match, she defeated Kristin Kuuba of Estonia 21-5, 21-10. Earlier, she had comfortably won her first match against Fathimath Nabaaha Abdul Razzaq of Maldives 21-9, 21-6.
Sindhu joins her fellow Indian shuttlers, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty (men’s doubles), who have already qualified for the knockout stage. In the round of 16, Sindhu will face a familiar opponent – He Bing Jiao of China. The two met in the bronze medal match at the Tokyo Olympics, with Sindhu emerging victorious 21-13, 21-15, becoming the first Indian woman to win two Olympic medals. This upcoming match promises to be a thrilling rematch.
Later on Wednesday, Lakshya Sen and H S Prannoy will play their final group-stage matches. A victory for both would result in an all-Indian clash in the men’s singles round of 16. This would be a significant moment for Indian badminton and a testament to the strength of the country’s shuttlers on the global stage.
