PV Sindhu is among the Indian athletes in Paris preparing for the 2024 Olympics. The badminton star is in a position that no other Indian in the contingent of 117 athletes is in.
Sindhu is looking to win her third Olympic medal. Doing so would make her the most successful individual Indian Olympian of all time.
Sindhu won silver at the Rio Olympics in 2016 and bronze at Tokyo 2020. She posted a photo on her Instagram handle on the court in Paris. “Paris 2024, the most special one yet,” she said in her caption.
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Sindhu has a reputation for leaving poor form behind her in major tournaments. She was sidelined for a lengthy period after winning gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games due to a knee injury. Since returning, Sindhu has a win-loss record of 15-9. She ha struggled in most tournaments.
There have been bright sparks though. Sindhu reached the final of the Malaysia Masters in May and came close to beating her great rival Carolina Marin for the first time in six years in Singapore.
Does PV Sindhu have a favourable group at Paris Olympics 2024?
The badminton events start on July 27, a day after the opening ceremony, and Sindhu's campaign in women's singles begins a day after that.
She has been drawn into a favourable group along with Kristin Kuuba of Estonia and Fathimath Nabaaha Abdul Razzaq of the Maldives, both of whom are ranked much lower than Sindhu.
She could face He Bing Jiao, whom she beat in the bronze medal match in Tokyo, in the round of 16. Then she could be up against reigning gold medallist Chen Yu Fei in the semifinals. Both players have won six games each against each other, but Sindhu might just be the underdog in that match.
Can PV Sindhu complete hat-trick of Olympic medals?
Sindhu's form, leading up to the Olympics, has been patchy, but she says the hat-trick of medals is very much possible. The last eight months spent with mentor Prakash Padukone have instilled confidence in her.
"I am aiming for a medal, definitely, yes. Whether it's one or two or three, it doesn't matter. I've won two medals and I don't want to take pressure by thinking that, oh, what is the third one. Every time I play Olympics, it's a new Olympics for me. So every time I go out there, I want to get a medal and hopefully, I will do that hat trick soon," she said.
As she prepares to compete in Paris, let's take a look at the badminton star's top rivals at the 2024 Olympics.
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Who are PV Sindhu's top rivals at the Paris 2024 Olympics' badminton event?
He Bing Jiao (CHN)
Sindhu’s first major challenge will likely come in the Round of 16 against China’s He Bingjiao. They have a history, with Sindhu winning their Tokyo Olympics bronze-medal match. Bingjiao holds an 11-9 record over Sindhu and won their last meeting at the 2022 Asian Games.
Chen Yu Fei (CHN)
If Sindhu overcomes Bingjiao, she may face defending Olympic Champion Chen Yu Fei in the quarter-finals. Yufei is in excellent form, having recently won the Indonesia Open.
Sindhu and Yufei have a tied record of six wins each. Their last encounter at the French Open in March was a close match which gave Sindhu hope for a potential victory.
Carolina Marin (ESP)
A possible semi-final match could see Sindhu facing her arch-nemesis, Carolina Marin. Marin has an 11-5 record against Sindhu and has defeated her in their last six meetings.
Their most memorable match was the 2018 World Championship final. Sindhu came close to winning against Marin but suffered a heartbreaking loss. In their last encounter at the Singapore Open in May, Sindhu lost 22-20 in the decisive game.
PV Sindhu has a challenging path ahead in Paris, but her experience and determination could lead her to a historic third Olympic medal. If she can navigate through her top rivals, Sindhu could achieve an unprecedented feat in Indian sports history.
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