India’s quest for a medal witnessed its biggest setback after Satwik-Chirag and PV Sindhu faced an early exit from the Paris Olympics 2024.
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty Out:
It’s been the most shattering result in India’s aspirations to reach the double-figure medals mark at the Paris Olympics. The ace badminton pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, former world no. 1 (currently at no. 3) who had been billed as nothing short of a gold medal prospect, slipped up as they squandered a 1-0 lead to go down to Malaysia’s unseeded Soh Wooi Yik and Chia Aaron in the quarter-final by 21-13, 14-21, 16-21, and miss out on the top-four round.
Historically speaking, this may be India’s joint-best achievement in men’s badminton at the Summer Games, but this mere piece of statistic is not going to satisfy the Indian sports fan.
Satwik-Chirag started their match on a dominant streak and overpowered the Malaysian duo to easily take the opening set 21-13. However, Yik and Aaron made a stunning comeback to win the second set 21-14 and took the match to the third and deciding set.
In the third set, the Malaysian pair took an early 5-3 lead but Chirag displayed his best to turn the tables. The Indian duo was the first to reach 10 in the set, but the Malaysian pair kept playing catch-up as much as possible throughout the decider as the Indians began to struggle to return serve and eventually lost the set 16-21.
PV Sindhu’s Paris Olympics 2024 dreams shatter:
India’s quest for a medal witnessed another setback after ace shuttler PV Sindhu failed to win her third Olympic medal in the women’s singles Round of 16 at the Olympics. Her defeat at Paris 2024 marks the first time that Sindhu failed to bag a medal at the Games.
She’d scarcely talk of this as revenge, though Sindhu had denied her a bronze at Tokyo exactly three years ago to the day.
PV Sindhu has no regrets regarding her preparations for the Games as she did everything she could to be in the best shape but admitted defense let her down in the pre-quarterfinal against China’s He Bing Jiao, here Thursday. Sindhu ran the Chinese world number 9 close in the first game but unending unforced errors meant that Bing Jao ran away with the match 21-19 21-14 in 56 minutes. Sindhu even dictated a few points but had no answer to Bing Jiao’s superior attack.
It was all too much for Sindhu, who didn’t relent in defense, but whose power doesn’t bury opponents’ wills. The woman that Sindhu defeated at Tokyo had broken down when she was peppered with attacks. This one at Paris was proud of her ethereal skills. And not shy of stomping.
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