NEW DELHI: Badminton legend Prakash Padukone has no hesitation in calling four-time World Championship medallist P.V. Sindhu as one of the “greats” among Indian shuttlers even as he hoped that the Hyderabadi will break her silver medal run in major championships.
Sindhu recently returned with a second successive silver medal from the Nanjing World Championships after going down to her old nemesis Carolina Marin of Spain in the summit clash. The Spaniard had also defeated Sindhu at the Rio Olympic Games final.
The 23-year-old has settled for the second spot in four successive tournaments this season — India Open, Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, Thailand Open and the World Championships — with many questioning her inability to win the finals of major tournaments.
However, Padukone, who was ranked World No.1 in 1980 — the same year that he became the first Indian to win the All England title — said performing at the top level with that kind of consistency is not easy.
“She has played quite well, it’s quite creditable that she has reached the second successive World Championship final. The competition at the top isn’t easy, but I think she should aim for the gold next time,” Padukone told reporters after the final of the PNB Metlife Junior championship season 4, here.
“On the whole, I reckon that’s a creditable performance. She beat two good Japanese players (Nozomi Okuhara and Akane Yamaguchi) to whom she normally loses. It’s unfortunate that she couldn’t win the final,” he added.
While Sindhu has consistently raised the bar in global tournaments, the story of her compatriot and London Olympics bronze medallist Saina Nehwal isn’t quite the same as in her case. (IANS)
