Ace shuttler Saina Nehwal Wednesday pulled out of the Indian Open BWF World Tour Super 500 which begins here Tuesday, after failing to recover from an acute gastroenteritis problem.

Saina, who turned 29 last Monday, had played through pain during the All England Championships after suffering from an acute gastroenteritis and mild pancreatitis ahead of the tournament.

She was forced to withdraw from Swiss Open last week and was admitted to hospital for treatment.

On Wednesday, Saina informed Badminton Association of India (BAI) about her decision to withdraw from the USD 350,000 tournament on medical grounds.

"She has not been well since the All England Championship. She sent the letter to withdraw citing stomach pain," a BAI official told PTI on condition of anonymity.

Last week, Saina, who had reached the quarter-finals of the All England Championship, had broken the news that she was advised to get admitted to get treated for her illness.

"So some sad news was really going through acute stomach pain from last Monday... Managed to play few matches in All England with lot of pain ... Decided to skip Swiss open and come back to India and find out the issue," she had written in her social media account.

 
"... And I found out it's acute gastroenteritis with mild pancreatitis and the doctors have recommended me to get admitted and hopefully I recover soon out of it."

Saina had won the India Open women's singles title in 2015. Olympic silver medallist and former champion P V Sindhu will now be India's only title contender in women's singles.&nbsp;

Ace shuttler Saina Nehwal Wednesday pulled out of the Indian Open BWF World Tour Super 500 which begins here Tuesday, after failing to recover from an acute gastroenteritis problem.

Ace shuttler Saina Nehwal Wednesday pulled out of the Indian Open BWF World Tour Super 500 which begins here Tuesday, after failing to recover from an acute gastroenteritis problem. Saina, who turned 29 last Monday, had played through pain during the All England Championships after suffering from an acute gastroenteritis and mild pancreatitis ahead of the tournament. She was forced to withdraw from Swiss Open last week and was admitted to hospital for treatment. On Wednesday, Saina informed Badminton Association of India (BAI) about her decision to withdraw from the USD 350,000 tournament on medical grounds. "She has not been well since the All England Championship. She sent the letter to withdraw citing stomach pain," a BAI official told PTI on condition of anonymity. Last week, Saina, who had reached the quarter-finals of the All England Championship, had broken the news that she was advised to get admitted to get treated for her illness. "So some sad news was really going through acute stomach pain from last Monday... Managed to play few matches in All England with lot of pain ... Decided to skip Swiss open and come back to India and find out the issue," she had written in her social media account. "... And I found out it's acute gastroenteritis with mild pancreatitis and the doctors have recommended me to get admitted and hopefully I recover soon out of it." Saina had won the India Open women's singles title in 2015. Olympic silver medallist and former champion P V Sindhu will now be India's only title contender in women's singles.

Saina Nehwal withdraws from India Open

India's badminton star Saina Nehwal Friday lost to Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei 15-21 19-21 in her quarter-final match to crash out of the All England Open Badminton Championships.&nbsp;

This is Saina's 13th consecutive loss to Tai Tzu Ying.

Meanwhile, Kidambi Srikanth has advanced to the second round by beating French Brice Leverdez 21-13, 21-11 on Wednesday.

PV Sindhu and HS Prannoy’s campaign had ended in the first round of All England Badminton Championship.

Premier shuttler PV Sindhu was knocked out in the first round after she lost 16-21, 22-20, 18-21 to unseeded Sung Ji Hyun.&nbsp;

The marathon contest between fifth seed Sindhu and the South Korean lasted for an hour and 21 minutes.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, HS Prannoy’s campaign ended on a disappointing note as he lost a closely fought contest 19-21, 19-21 to compatriot Sai Praneeth in the first round.

India's badminton star Saina Nehwal Friday lost to Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei 15-21 19-21 in her quarter-final match to crash out of the All England Open Badminton Championships.

India's badminton star Saina Nehwal Friday lost to Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei 15-21 19-21 in her quarter-final match to crash out of the All England Open Badminton Championships. This is Saina's 13th consecutive loss to Tai Tzu Ying. Meanwhile, Kidambi Srikanth has advanced to the second round by beating French Brice Leverdez 21-13, 21-11 on Wednesday. PV Sindhu and HS Prannoy’s campaign had ended in the first round of All England Badminton Championship. Premier shuttler PV Sindhu was knocked out in the first round after she lost 16-21, 22-20, 18-21 to unseeded Sung Ji Hyun. The marathon contest between fifth seed Sindhu and the South Korean lasted for an hour and 21 minutes. Meanwhile, HS Prannoy’s campaign ended on a disappointing note as he lost a closely fought contest 19-21, 19-21 to compatriot Sai Praneeth in the first round.

Saina Nehwal loses quarter-final to Chinese Taipai, crashes out of All England Championships

Virat Kohli continued to dominate the cricket chatter with his batting and brashness, the indomitable MC Mary Kom rolled back the years like very few can and, month after month, Indian sports also found new and younger heroes to raise a toast to.&nbsp;

PV Sindhu's perseverance on the badminton court, Neeraj Chopra's obsessive pursuit of perfection every time he hurled the javelin, and the teenage shooting stars who refused to take their eyes off the target, made 2018 a year in which highs easily outnumbered the lows for Indian sports.&nbsp;

There was a plethora of big-ticket sporting events this year and the country had lots to celebrate throughout. Whether it was the Commonwealth and the Asian Games or Youth Olympics, athletes pushed the boundaries and produced path-breaking performances.&nbsp;

There were the usual administrative mess-ups occasionally and odd cases of dope shame as well, but they couldn't make a dent to the overall sense of accomplishment.&nbsp;

On the cricket field, the results weren't encouraging in South Africa and England but Kohli the batsman again ruled the roost, making his craft look ridiculously easy even on the most challenging tracks. It was only fitting that he was bestowed the nation's highest sporting honour - the Khel Ratna.&nbsp;

For 'Captain Kohli', however, it was far more challenging as he grappled to get the combinations right. But the team did find a degree of redemption against Australia by retaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to close the year on a high.&nbsp;

Of course, it came against an Australian team weakened by the absence of banned batting mainstays Steve Smith and David Warner. The duo, along with Cameron Bancroft, combined for this year's biggest cricket scandal -&nbsp;the ball-tampering saga that forced a review of Australia's "win at all cost" culture.&nbsp;

The same Australia which had the world mesmerised by its near-perfect hosting of the Commonwealth Games within weeks of the drama.&nbsp;

The Games were memorable for India too as the country logged its third-best ever medal haul, highlighted by a record-shattering weightlifting show. Spearheading it was the diminutive world champion&nbsp;

Mirabai Chanu, who later shared the Khel Ratna with Kohli.

Weightlifting also found another prospective star in Jeremy Lalrinnunga after the 16-year-old claimed an unprecedented gold at Youth Olympics.&nbsp;

It was a comeback of sorts for shooting, after their flop-show at the 2016 Olympics.&nbsp;

India's gold medal-winners at the CWG shooting range included a 16-year-old Manu Bhaker and a 15-year-old Anish Bhanwala. The shooters hit the bull's eye in the Asiad too and though Bhaker felt the pain of failure for the first time, new gold-winning stars emerged in 16-year-old Saurabh Choudhary and a 15-something Shardul Vihan.&nbsp;

Bhaker and Chaudhary also won gold medals at Youth Olympics.&nbsp;

If shooting was about youngsters, boxing became all about an ageing but incomparable superstar in Mary Kom. The 36-year-old mother-of-three, who is also a Parliamentarian, picked up four gold medals - including a record sixth world title and the CWG top honours.&nbsp;

"There won't be another Mary Kom," she declared and one look at her predominantly golden cabinet of medals would be enough to silence anyone who thinks otherwise.&nbsp;

Then there was Sindhu. She lost five big finals, quietly took the criticism that labelled her a 'choker', but had the last laugh with a season-ending World Tour Finals title, beating world No.1 and familiar foe Tai Tzu Ying on her way to the summit clash.&nbsp;

Not to be left behind was Saina Nehwal. The trailblazer started with a gold at CWG, picked up a bronze in Asian Games and began a new chapter in her personal life by marrying fellow shuttler P Kashyap.&nbsp;

On the wrestling mat, Vinesh Phogat became more than just a famous Phogat sister with gold medals at both the CWG and Asian Games and Bajrang Punia stepped out of the shadow of his mentor and London Olympics bronze-medallist Yogeshwar Dutt.&nbsp;

Punia won gold at CWG and Asiad before a silver at World Championships positioned him as the biggest star. However, double Olympic-medallist Sushil Kumar's stock fell due to a string of sub-par performances.&nbsp;

The big takeaway in table tennis was the rise of Manika Batra. The Delhiite claimed four medals, including two gold, in the CWG before combining with veteran Sharath Kamal for a historic mixed doubles bronze at the Asiad, where India delivered its best-ever medal haul.&nbsp;

Another star to make the year his own was Neeraj. The 21-year-old won both the CWG and Asian Games with records to boot and is giving Indian athletics audacious Olympic medal hopes for Tokyo 2020.&nbsp;

A sprint sensation also emerged in 18-year-old Hima Das, India's first ever woman track-and-field world champion at any level after her under-20 400m gold.&nbsp;

Away from the spotlight, it was business as usual for ace cueist Pankaj Advani as he added a 21st world title to his trophy cabinet.&nbsp;

A star rose on the golf course as well in Shubhankar Sharma, who won the Maybank Malaysia Open. He also bagged Asian Tour Order of Merit title and European Tour Rookie of the Year award.&nbsp;

There were disappointments too -&nbsp;the men's hockey team being the most prominent with no medal at CWG and an underwhelming third-place finish at Asiad.

CWG champion weightlifter Sanjita Chanu flunked a dope test.&nbsp;And there was no end to the administrative mess that the BCCI has become.&nbsp;

However, none of the negatives was big enough to come in the way of a stronger India emerging on the competitive field.&nbsp;

Virat Kohli continued to dominate the cricket chatter with his batting and brashness, the indomitable MC Mary Kom rolled back the years like very few can and, month after month, Indian sports also found new and younger heroes to raise a toast to.

Virat Kohli continued to dominate the cricket chatter with his batting and brashness, the indomitable MC Mary Kom rolled back the years like very few can and, month after month, Indian sports also found new and younger heroes to raise a toast to. PV Sindhu's perseverance on the badminton court, Neeraj Chopra's obsessive pursuit of perfection every time he hurled the javelin, and the teenage shooting stars who refused to take their eyes off the target, made 2018 a year in which highs easily outnumbered the lows for Indian sports. There was a plethora of big-ticket sporting events this year and the country had lots to celebrate throughout. Whether it was the Commonwealth and the Asian Games or Youth Olympics, athletes pushed the boundaries and produced path-breaking performances. There were the usual administrative mess-ups occasionally and odd cases of dope shame as well, but they couldn't make a dent to the overall sense of accomplishment. On the cricket field, the results weren't encouraging in South Africa and England but Kohli the batsman again ruled the roost, making his craft look ridiculously easy even on the most challenging tracks. It was only fitting that he was bestowed the nation's highest sporting honour - the Khel Ratna. For 'Captain Kohli', however, it was far more challenging as he grappled to get the combinations right. But the team did find a degree of redemption against Australia by retaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to close the year on a high. Of course, it came against an Australian team weakened by the absence of banned batting mainstays Steve Smith and David Warner. The duo, along with Cameron Bancroft, combined for this year's biggest cricket scandal - the ball-tampering saga that forced a review of Australia's "win at all cost" culture. The same Australia which had the world mesmerised by its near-perfect hosting of the Commonwealth Games within weeks of the drama. The Games were memorable for India too as the country logged its third-best ever medal haul, highlighted by a record-shattering weightlifting show. Spearheading it was the diminutive world champion Mirabai Chanu, who later shared the Khel Ratna with Kohli. Weightlifting also found another prospective star in Jeremy Lalrinnunga after the 16-year-old claimed an unprecedented gold at Youth Olympics. It was a comeback of sorts for shooting, after their flop-show at the 2016 Olympics. India's gold medal-winners at the CWG shooting range included a 16-year-old Manu Bhaker and a 15-year-old Anish Bhanwala. The shooters hit the bull's eye in the Asiad too and though Bhaker felt the pain of failure for the first time, new gold-winning stars emerged in 16-year-old Saurabh Choudhary and a 15-something Shardul Vihan. Bhaker and Chaudhary also won gold medals at Youth Olympics. If shooting was about youngsters, boxing became all about an ageing but incomparable superstar in Mary Kom. The 36-year-old mother-of-three, who is also a Parliamentarian, picked up four gold medals - including a record sixth world title and the CWG top honours. "There won't be another Mary Kom," she declared and one look at her predominantly golden cabinet of medals would be enough to silence anyone who thinks otherwise. Then there was Sindhu. She lost five big finals, quietly took the criticism that labelled her a 'choker', but had the last laugh with a season-ending World Tour Finals title, beating world No.1 and familiar foe Tai Tzu Ying on her way to the summit clash. Not to be left behind was Saina Nehwal. The trailblazer started with a gold at CWG, picked up a bronze in Asian Games and began a new chapter in her personal life by marrying fellow shuttler P Kashyap. On the wrestling mat, Vinesh Phogat became more than just a famous Phogat sister with gold medals at both the CWG and Asian Games and Bajrang Punia stepped out of the shadow of his mentor and London Olympics bronze-medallist Yogeshwar Dutt. Punia won gold at CWG and Asiad before a silver at World Championships positioned him as the biggest star. However, double Olympic-medallist Sushil Kumar's stock fell due to a string of sub-par performances. The big takeaway in table tennis was the rise of Manika Batra. The Delhiite claimed four medals, including two gold, in the CWG before combining with veteran Sharath Kamal for a historic mixed doubles bronze at the Asiad, where India delivered its best-ever medal haul. Another star to make the year his own was Neeraj. The 21-year-old won both the CWG and Asian Games with records to boot and is giving Indian athletics audacious Olympic medal hopes for Tokyo 2020. A sprint sensation also emerged in 18-year-old Hima Das, India's first ever woman track-and-field world champion at any level after her under-20 400m gold. Away from the spotlight, it was business as usual for ace cueist Pankaj Advani as he added a 21st world title to his trophy cabinet. A star rose on the golf course as well in Shubhankar Sharma, who won the Maybank Malaysia Open. He also bagged Asian Tour Order of Merit title and European Tour Rookie of the Year award. There were disappointments too - the men's hockey team being the most prominent with no medal at CWG and an underwhelming third-place finish at Asiad. CWG champion weightlifter Sanjita Chanu flunked a dope test. And there was no end to the administrative mess that the BCCI has become. However, none of the negatives was big enough to come in the way of a stronger India emerging on the competitive field.

Virat Kohli, Mary Kom make 2018 their own; India discovers new stars too

India's star shuttler PV Sindhu broke her silver jinx and clinched a gold medal in the recently concluded BWF World Tour Finals. By virtue of this win, Sindhu became the first Indian woman to win the badminton tournament.

The win was also special as the Olympic silver medallist had failed to emerge victorious in seven consecutive finals, resulting in constant questions over her lack of success.&nbsp;

Sindhu battled it out hard against familiar foe Nozomi Okuhara who has been a formidable opponent over the years to end the year on a winning note.

"I am happy that I am the first Indian woman to win this tournament. This is the first time that I have got a gold, earlier I have come to the finals seven times but I lost (settled for silver). Many people asked me "What's happening in the finals?", but I want to tell everybody that I have clinched a gold this time," she said. &nbsp;

The win wasn't a cakewalk as Okuhara gave a tough fight and equalised when Sindhu was dominating the game.&nbsp;

The shuttler, however, citing her positivity and concentration as the factors which turned the tide in her favour.&nbsp;

"As the match began, I had taken the lead initially but Nozomi made a comeback. There was a stage where the score was like 15-15, 16-16. That's when the pressure builds because although you've taken the lead, the opponent has managed to equalise. But I took this positively and concentrated only on the next shot. Every point was important.&nbsp;

When asked if there was any particular strategy that worked in her favour, to which Sindhu replied she just tried to keep her focus intact.&nbsp;

"We know each other's game well, therefore going on the court and immediately strategising is very difficult. Pressure tends to build up and that's where we give away points. But all that aside, I tried keeping my focus intact and was able to win," the shuttler added.&nbsp;

In 2019, Sindhu will witness a lot of tournaments as well as qualifiers for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. &nbsp;

On being asked what extra she plans to do for the next year to make it better than 2018, Sindhu said, her main aim would be to remain fit.

"2018 has been really special for me. I lost in the finals but I am proud that I have won silver medals. There will be many tournaments in 2019 with qualifiers for the Tokyo Olympics 2020 also set to take place. My main aim and focus will be on staying fit and maintaining my off court and on court stamina," concluded the 23-year-old.&nbsp;

The win took her to No. 3 in the players’ rankings, and also third in women’s badminton singles prize earnings this year.

India's star shuttler PV Sindhu broke her silver jinx and clinched a gold medal in the recently concluded BWF World Tour Finals. By virtue of this win, Sindhu became the first Indian woman to win the badminton tournament.

India's star shuttler PV Sindhu broke her silver jinx and clinched a gold medal in the recently concluded BWF World Tour Finals. By virtue of this win, Sindhu became the first Indian woman to win the badminton tournament. The win was also special as the Olympic silver medallist had failed to emerge victorious in seven consecutive finals, resulting in constant questions over her lack of success. Sindhu battled it out hard against familiar foe Nozomi Okuhara who has been a formidable opponent over the years to end the year on a winning note. "I am happy that I am the first Indian woman to win this tournament. This is the first time that I have got a gold, earlier I have come to the finals seven times but I lost (settled for silver). Many people asked me "What's happening in the finals?", but I want to tell everybody that I have clinched a gold this time," she said. The win wasn't a cakewalk as Okuhara gave a tough fight and equalised when Sindhu was dominating the game. The shuttler, however, citing her positivity and concentration as the factors which turned the tide in her favour. "As the match began, I had taken the lead initially but Nozomi made a comeback. There was a stage where the score was like 15-15, 16-16. That's when the pressure builds because although you've taken the lead, the opponent has managed to equalise. But I took this positively and concentrated only on the next shot. Every point was important. When asked if there was any particular strategy that worked in her favour, to which Sindhu replied she just tried to keep her focus intact. "We know each other's game well, therefore going on the court and immediately strategising is very difficult. Pressure tends to build up and that's where we give away points. But all that aside, I tried keeping my focus intact and was able to win," the shuttler added. In 2019, Sindhu will witness a lot of tournaments as well as qualifiers for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. On being asked what extra she plans to do for the next year to make it better than 2018, Sindhu said, her main aim would be to remain fit. "2018 has been really special for me. I lost in the finals but I am proud that I have won silver medals. There will be many tournaments in 2019 with qualifiers for the Tokyo Olympics 2020 also set to take place. My main aim and focus will be on staying fit and maintaining my off court and on court stamina," concluded the 23-year-old. The win took her to No. 3 in the players’ rankings, and also third in women’s badminton singles prize earnings this year.

First gold after seven finals, PV Sindhu tells WION

Olympic silver medalist <a href="http://www.wionews.com/search?q=PV+Sindhu">PV Sindhu</a> defeated Japan's&nbsp;Nozomi Okuhara to clinch her maiden&nbsp;BWF World Tour Finals title.

The world number six, renowned for her never-say-die attitude, has also twice lost in the final of the World Championships and was runner-up in last year's season finale.

But she put all that heartbreak behind her in the Chinese city of Guangzhou, beating the fifth-ranked Okuhara 21-19, 21-17 in the women's final in just over an hour.

Sindhu, who was always in control of the match, sealed the championship with a forehand smash, before collapsing to the court floor on her hands and knees.

With the magnificent win, she&nbsp;became first Indian to achieve such feat.

Sindhu outplayed&nbsp;Okuhara to win her first title of the year as she struggled throughout the year but ended 2018 with a historic win.

The 23-year-old started both the game taking initial lead but her familiar foe managed to bounce to trouble her.

However, Sindhu stayed focused and emerged victorious&nbsp;over&nbsp;Okuhara, to whom she had lost an epic World Championship final, last year.

Earlier, she outplayed Thailand's Ratchanok Intanon 21-16, 25-23 in the semis to enter the summit clash.

The men's final later Sunday tees up the two top players in the world, top-ranked Kento Momota of Japan against number two and home star Shi Yuqi.

Olympic silver medalist PV Sindhu defeated Japan's Nozomi Okuhara to clinch her maiden BWF World Tour Finals title. The world number six, renowned for her never-say-die attitude, has also twice lost in the final of the World Championships and was runner-up in last year's season finale.

Olympic silver medalist PV Sindhu defeated Japan's Nozomi Okuhara to clinch her maiden BWF World Tour Finals title. The world number six, renowned for her never-say-die attitude, has also twice lost in the final of the World Championships and was runner-up in last year's season finale. But she put all that heartbreak behind her in the Chinese city of Guangzhou, beating the fifth-ranked Okuhara 21-19, 21-17 in the women's final in just over an hour. Sindhu, who was always in control of the match, sealed the championship with a forehand smash, before collapsing to the court floor on her hands and knees. With the magnificent win, she became first Indian to achieve such feat. Sindhu outplayed Okuhara to win her first title of the year as she struggled throughout the year but ended 2018 with a historic win. The 23-year-old started both the game taking initial lead but her familiar foe managed to bounce to trouble her. However, Sindhu stayed focused and emerged victorious over Okuhara, to whom she had lost an epic World Championship final, last year. Earlier, she outplayed Thailand's Ratchanok Intanon 21-16, 25-23 in the semis to enter the summit clash. The men's final later Sunday tees up the two top players in the world, top-ranked Kento Momota of Japan against number two and home star Shi Yuqi.

BWF World Tour Finals: PV Sindhu defeats Nozomi Okuhara to win historic title

Shuttlers Saina Nehwal and Parupalli Kashyap got married on Friday. Nehwal made an announcement about the same on Twitter.&nbsp;

Nehwal took to Twitter and posted pictures with her better half, captioning it, "Best match of my life #justmarried."

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Best match of my life ❤️...<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/justmarried?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#justmarried</a> ☺️ <a href="https://t.co/cCNJwqcjI5">pic.twitter.com/cCNJwqcjI5</a>
— Saina Nehwal (@NSaina) <a href="https://twitter.com/NSaina/status/1073543794199384064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Earlier, reports suggested that the ace badminton stars were due to tie the knot on December 16 in Hyderabad.&nbsp;

&nbsp;Kashyap on Thursday posted pictures of him performing some rituals along with his family members.

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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BrUFbHoAiFl/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">#jeelakarrabellam #odugu</a>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/parupallikashyap/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Parupalli Kashyap</a> (@parupallikashyap) on <time datetime="2018-12-13T04:18:24+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Dec 12, 2018 at 8:18pm PST</time>
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In an interview previously, Nehwal had briefly touched upon her relationship with Kashyap revealing that the bond goes almost a decade back. As per reports, the players had their interaction while training under Pullela Gopichand over a decade ago in 2005.&nbsp;

"In the competitive world that we live in, it is difficult to get close to someone. But somehow we both found it very easy to talk to each other," <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/indian-badminton-star-nehwal-to-wed-kashyap-in-december-170154">Saina told</a> a leading newspaper earlier this year.

The 28-year-old said she had started dating Kashyap, 32, in 2007 after they began going on tours together but delayed the marriage in order to focus on their careers.

 
&nbsp;

Shuttlers Saina Nehwal and Parupalli Kashyap got married on Friday. Nehwal made an announcement about the same on Twitter. Nehwal took to Twitter and posted pictures with her better half, captioning it, "Best match of my life #justmarried.

Shuttlers Saina Nehwal and Parupalli Kashyap got married on Friday. Nehwal made an announcement about the same on Twitter. Nehwal took to Twitter and posted pictures with her better half, captioning it, "Best match of my life #justmarried." Best match of my life ❤️...#justmarried ☺️ pic.twitter.com/cCNJwqcjI5 — Saina Nehwal (@NSaina) December 14, 2018 × Earlier, reports suggested that the ace badminton stars were due to tie the knot on December 16 in Hyderabad. Kashyap on Thursday posted pictures of him performing some rituals along with his family members. View this post on Instagram #jeelakarrabellam #odugu A post shared by Parupalli Kashyap (@parupallikashyap) on Dec 12, 2018 at 8:18pm PST × In an interview previously, Nehwal had briefly touched upon her relationship with Kashyap revealing that the bond goes almost a decade back. As per reports, the players had their interaction while training under Pullela Gopichand over a decade ago in 2005. "In the competitive world that we live in, it is difficult to get close to someone. But somehow we both found it very easy to talk to each other," Saina told a leading newspaper earlier this year. The 28-year-old said she had started dating Kashyap, 32, in 2007 after they began going on tours together but delayed the marriage in order to focus on their careers.

'Best match of my life', tweets Saina Nehwal after her wedding with Parupalli Kashyap

Young Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen progressed to the quarterfinals of the BWF World Junior Championship after defeating Chinese Taipei's Chen Shiau Cheng in a men's singles event here.&nbsp;

The 17-year-old from Almora, who had clinched the Asian Junior Championships title in July this year, saw off ninth seed Chen 15-21, 21-17, 21-14 in a match that lasted a little under an hour on Thursday.&nbsp;

Fourth seeded Lakshya will take on Malaysia's Aidil Sholeh ALI Sadikin next for a place in the semi-final, which will assure him of a medal in the tournament.&nbsp;

Lakshya, who received a bye in the opening round, beat Mexico's Armando Gaitan and Italian Giovanni Toti in the earlier rounds in straight games.&nbsp;

Men's doubles pair of Vishnu Vardhan Goud Panjala and Srikrishna Sai Kumar Podile also entered the quarters with a 21-11, 21-17 win over Indonesian combination of Dwiki Rafian Restu and Bernadus Bagas Kusuma Wardana.&nbsp;

The Indian duo will face 10th seeded Korean pair of Tae Yang Shin and Chan Wang next.&nbsp;

Other Indians in fray, Priyanshu Rajawat, Alap Mishra and Kiran George lost in the third round of men's singles, while Malvika Bansod and Gayatri Gopichand were ousted in the opening and second rounds of the women's singles competition respectively.&nbsp;

Eighth seed Purva Barve, who received a bye in the first round, lost in the third round.&nbsp;

Saina Nehwal remains India's only gold medallist in the World Junior Championship, having won the title at the 2008 edition at Pune.

Young Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen progressed to the quarterfinals of the BWF World Junior Championship after defeating Chinese Taipei's Chen Shiau Cheng in a men's singles event here.

Young Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen progressed to the quarterfinals of the BWF World Junior Championship after defeating Chinese Taipei's Chen Shiau Cheng in a men's singles event here. The 17-year-old from Almora, who had clinched the Asian Junior Championships title in July this year, saw off ninth seed Chen 15-21, 21-17, 21-14 in a match that lasted a little under an hour on Thursday. Fourth seeded Lakshya will take on Malaysia's Aidil Sholeh ALI Sadikin next for a place in the semi-final, which will assure him of a medal in the tournament. Lakshya, who received a bye in the opening round, beat Mexico's Armando Gaitan and Italian Giovanni Toti in the earlier rounds in straight games. Men's doubles pair of Vishnu Vardhan Goud Panjala and Srikrishna Sai Kumar Podile also entered the quarters with a 21-11, 21-17 win over Indonesian combination of Dwiki Rafian Restu and Bernadus Bagas Kusuma Wardana. The Indian duo will face 10th seeded Korean pair of Tae Yang Shin and Chan Wang next. Other Indians in fray, Priyanshu Rajawat, Alap Mishra and Kiran George lost in the third round of men's singles, while Malvika Bansod and Gayatri Gopichand were ousted in the opening and second rounds of the women's singles competition respectively. Eighth seed Purva Barve, who received a bye in the first round, lost in the third round. Saina Nehwal remains India's only gold medallist in the World Junior Championship, having won the title at the 2008 edition at Pune.

Lakshya Sen enters quarterfinals of World Junior Championship

World champion Kento Momota won badminton's Fuzhou China Open on Sunday to add another title to his already spectacular season.

Japan's world number one survived a spirited challenge from Taiwan's Chou Tien-chen, defeating the fourth seed 21-13, 11-21, 21-16 in 66 minutes.

The 24-year-old Momota collapsed to the court floor and lay on his back exhausted after finally seeing off Chou.

Momota has been in scorching form this year, winning the World Championships, the Asia Championships and now four events on the World Tour.

His defeat of Chou was a repeat of the Denmark Open final in October when the explosive Momota similarly prevailed in three games.

Momota, who was expelled from the Japanese team for the 2016 Rio Olympics and banned for over a year for visiting an illegal casino, is now set to compete at Hong Kong Open.

He is drawn to face ageing former number one Lin Dan of China in his opening match.

World champion Kento Momota won badminton's Fuzhou China Open on Sunday to add another title to his already spectacular season. Japan's world number one survived a spirited challenge from Taiwan's Chou Tien-chen, defeating the fourth seed 21-13, 11-21, 21-16 in 66 minutes.

World champion Kento Momota won badminton's Fuzhou China Open on Sunday to add another title to his already spectacular season. Japan's world number one survived a spirited challenge from Taiwan's Chou Tien-chen, defeating the fourth seed 21-13, 11-21, 21-16 in 66 minutes. The 24-year-old Momota collapsed to the court floor and lay on his back exhausted after finally seeing off Chou. Momota has been in scorching form this year, winning the World Championships, the Asia Championships and now four events on the World Tour. His defeat of Chou was a repeat of the Denmark Open final in October when the explosive Momota similarly prevailed in three games. Momota, who was expelled from the Japanese team for the 2016 Rio Olympics and banned for over a year for visiting an illegal casino, is now set to compete at Hong Kong Open. He is drawn to face ageing former number one Lin Dan of China in his opening match.

World Champion Kento Momota wins badminton's China Open

Meghana Reddy and Tasnim Mir won the girls doubles crown as Indian shuttlers bagged five medals in the Badminton Asia Junior U-17 and U-15 championships which concluded at Mandalay, Myanmar on Sunday.&nbsp;

Meghana and Tasnim pair defeated Korean duo of Yeo Jin Gong and Da Yeon Jeong 23-21, 21-18 in the final to secure the Under-15 girls doubles title.&nbsp;

The Indians took an early slender lead only to increase it midway through. But the Koreans caught up soon as an intense battle ensued and at 21-20, the Indians managed to go up by a point before dropping one to the Koreans.&nbsp;

On their next chance, the Indians took the lead and capitalised on it to pocket the first game.

Meghana took care of the forecourt while Tasnim complimented her from behind as they swapped positions nicely and kept their Korean rivals on the toes as the duo won the second game to wrap up the tie.&nbsp;

Meiraba Luwang and Aditi Bhatt won a bronze medal each in the Under-17 boys singles and girls singles respectively, while S Shankar Muthuswamy claimed a bronze in under-15 boys singles.&nbsp;

The men doubles duo in U-15 category, Pranv Rao Gandham and P Sai Vishnu, added yet another bronze medal to India's tally.

Sankar lost his semifinal to Korean Byung Jae Kim 15-21, 19-21 in a tight match and it was followed by Aditi, who went down to Indonesian Aisyah Savita Ftetani 12-21, 13-21.&nbsp;

Meiraba fought well but unfortunately went down 21-19, 16-21, 10-21 against Korean Yong Jin and the pair of Pranav and Sai Vishu couldn't withstand the Indonesian duo of Muhammad Rayhan Nurand Marwan Faza, who wrapped up the match 21-12, 21-19.&nbsp;

Meghana Reddy and Tasnim Mir won the girls doubles crown as Indian shuttlers bagged five medals in the Badminton Asia Junior U-17 and U-15 championships which concluded at Mandalay, Myanmar on Sunday.

Meghana Reddy and Tasnim Mir won the girls doubles crown as Indian shuttlers bagged five medals in the Badminton Asia Junior U-17 and U-15 championships which concluded at Mandalay, Myanmar on Sunday. Meghana and Tasnim pair defeated Korean duo of Yeo Jin Gong and Da Yeon Jeong 23-21, 21-18 in the final to secure the Under-15 girls doubles title. The Indians took an early slender lead only to increase it midway through. But the Koreans caught up soon as an intense battle ensued and at 21-20, the Indians managed to go up by a point before dropping one to the Koreans. On their next chance, the Indians took the lead and capitalised on it to pocket the first game. Meghana took care of the forecourt while Tasnim complimented her from behind as they swapped positions nicely and kept their Korean rivals on the toes as the duo won the second game to wrap up the tie. Meiraba Luwang and Aditi Bhatt won a bronze medal each in the Under-17 boys singles and girls singles respectively, while S Shankar Muthuswamy claimed a bronze in under-15 boys singles. The men doubles duo in U-15 category, Pranv Rao Gandham and P Sai Vishnu, added yet another bronze medal to India's tally. Sankar lost his semifinal to Korean Byung Jae Kim 15-21, 19-21 in a tight match and it was followed by Aditi, who went down to Indonesian Aisyah Savita Ftetani 12-21, 13-21. Meiraba fought well but unfortunately went down 21-19, 16-21, 10-21 against Korean Yong Jin and the pair of Pranav and Sai Vishu couldn't withstand the Indonesian duo of Muhammad Rayhan Nurand Marwan Faza, who wrapped up the match 21-12, 21-19.

Indian shuttlers win five medals in Asia Junior championship

Shraddha Kapoor has started filming for Saina - a biopic on Badminton champion Saina Nehwal. The film was announced sometime in 2017 but got delayed due to various reasons. Kapoor was seen dressed as her character on the film's set.&nbsp; 
 
Interestingly, Shraddha had visitors on the first day of the shoot. Saina Nehwal's parents came to wish the crew the best as they began shooting for the film.&nbsp; 
Directed by Amole Gupte, 'Saina' will be produced by T-Series.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

<img alt="Shraddha Kapoor on the sets of 'Saina' a biopic on Saina Nehwal's life. Image by Yogen Shah" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a7d7fde9-ab28-44e2-ae8e-7e6f093d0f06" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Saina1.jpg" />

<img alt="Saina Nehwal's parents came to wish the crew as they began filming. Image by Yogen Shah." data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="582f3669-a6b7-4dfc-80fd-5cc3bbe14def" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Saina2.jpg" />

<img alt="'Saina' is being directed by Amole Gupte and produced by T-Series. " data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="6f52f25e-b9ac-4953-850f-aae087cb565a" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/saina3.jpg" /> 
"It is a physically demanding film. But it is an inspiring story as so many people look up to her. I feel grateful to be playing that part. I will begin shooting for it next month and the prep is on. I am having a great time playing badminton. It is fabulous to be part of such a great story," the actress has earlier told a news agency about her role.

Asked if she has mastered the game by now, she said, "I don't know that. I am trying to. It is the second most difficult sport in the world. It is not easy."

To prepare for her role, the actress spent quality time with Nehwal and even visited her at her home.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Shraddha Kapoor has started filming for Saina - a biopic on Badminton champion Saina Nehwal. The film was announced sometime in 2017 but got delayed due to various reasons.

Shraddha Kapoor has started filming for Saina - a biopic on Badminton champion Saina Nehwal. The film was announced sometime in 2017 but got delayed due to various reasons. Kapoor was seen dressed as her character on the film's set. Interestingly, Shraddha had visitors on the first day of the shoot. Saina Nehwal's parents came to wish the crew the best as they began shooting for the film. Directed by Amole Gupte, 'Saina' will be produced by T-Series. "It is a physically demanding film. But it is an inspiring story as so many people look up to her. I feel grateful to be playing that part. I will begin shooting for it next month and the prep is on. I am having a great time playing badminton. It is fabulous to be part of such a great story," the actress has earlier told a news agency about her role. Asked if she has mastered the game by now, she said, "I don't know that. I am trying to. It is the second most difficult sport in the world. It is not easy." To prepare for her role, the actress spent quality time with Nehwal and even visited her at her home.

Shraddha Kapoor starts shooting for Saina Nehwal's biopic; badmintion champ's parents visit her on set

Malaysian badminton star Lee Chong Wei has early-stage nose cancer and is being treated in Taiwan, sports officials said Saturday, after weeks of speculation about his health.

The country's most successful Olympian ever, who enjoys superstar status in his homeland, was responding well to treatment, they said.&nbsp;

But the illness will nevertheless be a devastating blow for the 35-year-old, coming after he clawed his way back up the rankings following a doping ban to play some of the best badminton of his life.

Speculation had been swirling about his health since he stopped turning up for training in July, and the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) announced that he was pulling out of the World Championships and Asian Games.

Subsequent reports said the three-time Olympic silver medallist had travelled to Taiwan for treatment but officials remained tight-lipped about what he was suffering from.

In a statement Saturday, BAM president Norza Zakaria said "that the player has been diagnosed with early-stage nose cancer.

"(Lee) is currently in Taiwan seeking treatment and I am pleased to inform you that he is responding well to his treatment and is currently resting and recuperating amongst family and close friends. &nbsp;

"BAM is in constant contact with (Lee) and we will offer any support we can to our legend."

Missing the World Championships in July and August was a particular blow for the former world number one as the tournament's top honour is one of the major awards missing from his trophy cabinet.

Badminton is hugely popular in Malaysia and one of the few sports where the country's athletes perform well at the highest levels.&nbsp;

Lee's unsuccessful attempts to capture Malaysia's first ever Olympic gold medal at three consecutive editions of the Games were followed avidly back home, as was his long-running rivalry with Chinese superstar Lin Dan.

His last shot at Olympic gold at Rio 2016 ended in failure when the Malaysian lost out to China's Chen Long in a nail-biting final.

Lee, currently ranked number four in the world, had said Rio would be his last Olympics.

Lee had fought his way back to the top of the rankings after returning from a doping ban in 2015.&nbsp;

He tested positive for a forbidden anti-inflammatory drug at the 2014 world championships and many feared it would end his career, but he bounced back strongly.

Malaysian badminton star Lee Chong Wei has early-stage nose cancer and is being treated in Taiwan, sports officials said Saturday, after weeks of speculation about his health.

Malaysian badminton star Lee Chong Wei has early-stage nose cancer and is being treated in Taiwan, sports officials said Saturday, after weeks of speculation about his health. The country's most successful Olympian ever, who enjoys superstar status in his homeland, was responding well to treatment, they said. But the illness will nevertheless be a devastating blow for the 35-year-old, coming after he clawed his way back up the rankings following a doping ban to play some of the best badminton of his life. Speculation had been swirling about his health since he stopped turning up for training in July, and the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) announced that he was pulling out of the World Championships and Asian Games. Subsequent reports said the three-time Olympic silver medallist had travelled to Taiwan for treatment but officials remained tight-lipped about what he was suffering from. In a statement Saturday, BAM president Norza Zakaria said "that the player has been diagnosed with early-stage nose cancer. "(Lee) is currently in Taiwan seeking treatment and I am pleased to inform you that he is responding well to his treatment and is currently resting and recuperating amongst family and close friends. "BAM is in constant contact with (Lee) and we will offer any support we can to our legend." Missing the World Championships in July and August was a particular blow for the former world number one as the tournament's top honour is one of the major awards missing from his trophy cabinet. Badminton is hugely popular in Malaysia and one of the few sports where the country's athletes perform well at the highest levels. Lee's unsuccessful attempts to capture Malaysia's first ever Olympic gold medal at three consecutive editions of the Games were followed avidly back home, as was his long-running rivalry with Chinese superstar Lin Dan. His last shot at Olympic gold at Rio 2016 ended in failure when the Malaysian lost out to China's Chen Long in a nail-biting final. Lee, currently ranked number four in the world, had said Rio would be his last Olympics. Lee had fought his way back to the top of the rankings after returning from a doping ban in 2015. He tested positive for a forbidden anti-inflammatory drug at the 2014 world championships and many feared it would end his career, but he bounced back strongly.

Badminton star Lee has cancer, in Taiwan for treatment

Ashwini Ponnappa and Sikki Reddy bagged the bronze medal in badminton women's doubles at the 21st Commonwealth Games on Saturday after defeating Setyana Mapasa and Gronya Somerville of Australia.

The dramatic match ended when Indian duo outplayed the Australians with their experience and marked the victory.

Ponnappa and Reddy won the match in the straight sets 21-19, 21-19 but as the scores reveal, each set was a neck-to-neck clash.

At a point, in the second set, Australian duo bounced back to level the scores at 18-18 and again at 19-19 but then Ponnappa and Reddy earned two crucial points and clinched the bronze medal.

On the other hand, unfortunately, India's Ashwini Ponnappa and Satwik Rankireddy lost to Peng Soon Chan and Liu Ying Goh of Malaysia 0-2 (19-21, 19-21) in the badminton mixed doubles bronze medal match.

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Two is company ✌? 
 
Superb team work by <a href="https://twitter.com/P9Ashwini?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@P9Ashwini</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/sikkireddy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sikkireddy</a> to win a ?in the Badminton women's doubles match against Australia. 
They took just 47 minutes to wrap up the match beating their opponents 21-19, 21-19. Good job girls! ??<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiaAtCWG?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndiaAtCWG</a> <a href="https://t.co/y5HPSC9KSF">pic.twitter.com/y5HPSC9KSF</a>
— Rajyavardhan Rathore (@Ra_THORe) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ra_THORe/status/985155795271725056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 14, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp

Ashwini Ponnappa and Sikki Reddy bagged the bronze medal in badminton women's doubles at the 21st Commonwealth Games

Ashwini Ponnappa and Sikki Reddy bagged the bronze medal in badminton women's doubles at the 21st Commonwealth Games on Saturday after defeating Setyana Mapasa and Gronya Somerville of Australia. The dramatic match ended when Indian duo outplayed the Australians with their experience and marked the victory. Ponnappa and Reddy won the match in the straight sets 21-19, 21-19 but as the scores reveal, each set was a neck-to-neck clash. At a point, in the second set, Australian duo bounced back to level the scores at 18-18 and again at 19-19 but then Ponnappa and Reddy earned two crucial points and clinched the bronze medal. On the other hand, unfortunately, India's Ashwini Ponnappa and Satwik Rankireddy lost to Peng Soon Chan and Liu Ying Goh of Malaysia 0-2 (19-21, 19-21) in the badminton mixed doubles bronze medal match. Two is company ✌? Superb team work by @P9Ashwini & @sikkireddy to win a ?in the Badminton women's doubles match against Australia. They took just 47 minutes to wrap up the match beating their opponents 21-19, 21-19. Good job girls! ??#IndiaAtCWG pic.twitter.com/y5HPSC9KSF — Rajyavardhan Rathore (@Ra_THORe) April 14, 2018 ×

CWG 2018: Ashwini Ponnappa, Sikki Reddy bag bronze medal in badminton women's doubles

Kidambi Srikanth reached the top of men's singles rankings with 76895 points in the Badminton World Federation (BWF) chart which was released today. He became the first Indian shuttler to achieve the number one rank in the modern ranking system. Though legendary Indian shuttler Prakash Padukone had reached the number one spot in 1980 but at that time computerized ranking system was not implemented.

25-year-old Srikanth displaced Denmark’s Victor Axelsen&nbsp;to be atop of BWF world rankings and became only the second Indian after Saina Nehwal, who had occupied the women's top spot in 2015.

Srikanth defeated three-time Olympic silver medallist Lee Chong Wei in straight games in the crucial mixed team final to clinch gold at the 21st Commonwealth Games, Gold Coast.

"I'm definitely delighted to have achieved the World No. 1 ranking for the first time, and to become the first Indian man after Prakash sir to achieve this," said Srikanth.

Srikanth thanked his mentor, coaches and family, said, "It's a testament to the hard work of Gopi sir, my family, my other coaches and support staff, my team GoSports Foundation, my sponsors, and everyone else who has believed in me over the years."

"It's been a great year, but I have many more goals, and right now, my focus is on coming good at the big events and achieving many more milestones. The Commonwealth Games is on, and this year also holds the Asian Games," he further added.

Recently in February, he was crowned Sportsperson of the Year at the third Mahindra Scorpio Times of India Sports Awards (TOISA).

"My target is also to do my country proud at the Tokyo Olympics in two years' time. I thank everyone for believing in me, and hope to inspire many other Indians to keep striving in their pursuit of excellence," added Srikanth who is looking forward to winning his first individual medal at the ongoing CWG.

&nbsp;

25-year-old Srikanth displaced Denmark’s Victor Axelsen to be atop of BWF world rankings and became only the second Indian after Saina Nehwal, who had occupied the women's top spot in 2015

Kidambi Srikanth reached the top of men's singles rankings with 76895 points in the Badminton World Federation (BWF) chart which was released today. He became the first Indian shuttler to achieve the number one rank in the modern ranking system. Though legendary Indian shuttler Prakash Padukone had reached the number one spot in 1980 but at that time computerized ranking system was not implemented. 25-year-old Srikanth displaced Denmark’s Victor Axelsen to be atop of BWF world rankings and became only the second Indian after Saina Nehwal, who had occupied the women's top spot in 2015. Srikanth defeated three-time Olympic silver medallist Lee Chong Wei in straight games in the crucial mixed team final to clinch gold at the 21st Commonwealth Games, Gold Coast. "I'm definitely delighted to have achieved the World No. 1 ranking for the first time, and to become the first Indian man after Prakash sir to achieve this," said Srikanth. Srikanth thanked his mentor, coaches and family, said, "It's a testament to the hard work of Gopi sir, my family, my other coaches and support staff, my team GoSports Foundation, my sponsors, and everyone else who has believed in me over the years." "It's been a great year, but I have many more goals, and right now, my focus is on coming good at the big events and achieving many more milestones. The Commonwealth Games is on, and this year also holds the Asian Games," he further added. Recently in February, he was crowned Sportsperson of the Year at the third Mahindra Scorpio Times of India Sports Awards (TOISA). "My target is also to do my country proud at the Tokyo Olympics in two years' time. I thank everyone for believing in me, and hope to inspire many other Indians to keep striving in their pursuit of excellence," added Srikanth who is looking forward to winning his first individual medal at the ongoing CWG.

Indian star shuttler Kidambi Srikanth is new World No. 1

India clinched gold medal after defeating team Malaysia 3-1 in mixed-team badminton final at 21st Commonwealth Games on Day 5 in Gold Coast.

Saina Nehwal won the women singles clash against Soniia Cheah on the final day.

In men's single event of mixed-team finals, Kidambi Srikanth won against Malaysia's Chong Lee by 21-17, 21-14.

In the mixed doubles clash, Ashwini Ponnappa and Satwik Rankireddy of India took the match to the decider set and claimed the gold against Malaysia.

Though, Malasia had won the first match in men's doubles, as Satwik-Chirag go down 21-15, 21-19.

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India beat Malaysia 3-1 to win the Gold medal in mixed team badminton <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CWG2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CWG2018</a> <a href="https://t.co/xb06v4Cg99">pic.twitter.com/xb06v4Cg99</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/983307990320189441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The badminton team has been in a magnificent form as they have defeated Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Scotland in the group stages by 5-0 to make it to the quarterfinals.

In the quarterfinals they outplayed Mauritius to enter the semifinals. In the semis, they lost their men’s doubles match but remained strong to defeat Singapore 3-1 to enter the final.

India has bagged ten gold medals so far and a total of nineteen medals.

India clinched the gold medal after defeating Team Malaysia 3-1 in the mixed-team badminton final at the 21st Commonwealth Games on Day 5

India clinched gold medal after defeating team Malaysia 3-1 in mixed-team badminton final at 21st Commonwealth Games on Day 5 in Gold Coast. Saina Nehwal won the women singles clash against Soniia Cheah on the final day. In men's single event of mixed-team finals, Kidambi Srikanth won against Malaysia's Chong Lee by 21-17, 21-14. In the mixed doubles clash, Ashwini Ponnappa and Satwik Rankireddy of India took the match to the decider set and claimed the gold against Malaysia. Though, Malasia had won the first match in men's doubles, as Satwik-Chirag go down 21-15, 21-19. India beat Malaysia 3-1 to win the Gold medal in mixed team badminton #CWG2018 pic.twitter.com/xb06v4Cg99 — ANI (@ANI) April 9, 2018 × The badminton team has been in a magnificent form as they have defeated Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Scotland in the group stages by 5-0 to make it to the quarterfinals. In the quarterfinals they outplayed Mauritius to enter the semifinals. In the semis, they lost their men’s doubles match but remained strong to defeat Singapore 3-1 to enter the final. India has bagged ten gold medals so far and a total of nineteen medals.

CWG 2018: India gold rush continues as shuttlers clinch maiden team title

Expressing her disappointment in a series of tweets on Monday night, ace shuttler Saina Nehwal said her father, who was confirmed as part of the Indian contingent travelling to Australia for the 2018 Commonwealth Games, was denied entry in the Gold Coast Games Village.

Nehwal said her father cannot stay with her.

"Surprise to see that when we started from India for Commonwealth Games 2018 my father was confirmed as the team official and I paid the whole amount for that but when we came to the Games Village ... his name was cut from team official category .. and he can't even stay with me," she wrote on Twitter.

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Surprise to see that when we started from India for commonwealth games 2018 my father was confirmed as the team official and I paid the whole amount for that but when we came to the games village ... his name was cut from team official category .. and he can’t even stay with me .
— Saina Nehwal (@NSaina) <a href="https://twitter.com/NSaina/status/980812863966134277?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Responding to that,&nbsp;Indian Olympic Association Tweeted, "Dear @NSaina , Mr. Harvir Singh is an accredited Extra Official! As stated in the CDM Manual of Gold Coast 2018 CWG and repeatedly conveyed to BAI, the payment for accreditation of Extra Official does not include bed in the Games Village."

According to CWG guidelines, training partners and personal coaches are not entitled to access the Commonwealth Games Village (CGV). The access to CGV is facilitated by a guest pass allocation.

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Dear <a href="https://twitter.com/NSaina?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NSaina</a> , Mr. Harvir Singh is an accredited Extra Official! As stated in the CDM Manual of Gold Coast 2018 CWG and repeatedly conveyed to BAI, the payment for accreditation of Extra Official does not include bed in the Games Village. <a href="https://twitter.com/Abhinav_Bindra?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Abhinav_Bindra</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/kannandelhi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kannandelhi</a> <a href="https://t.co/Nl00WxS685">pic.twitter.com/Nl00WxS685</a>
— IOA - Team India (@ioaindia) <a href="https://twitter.com/ioaindia/status/981004723523239937?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The sports ministry had earlier cleared her father Harvir Singh Nehwal's name as an 'extra official' with the badminton squad for the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.

London Olympics bronze medalist Saina tagged the Commonwealth Games Federation to express her concern.

"He can't c my matches and he can't enter the village nor he can meet me in anyway .. what kind of support is this ..@thecgf," read another tweet.

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He can’t c my matches and he can’t enter the village nor he can meet me in anyway .. what kind of support is this ..<a href="https://twitter.com/thecgf?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@thecgf</a>
— Saina Nehwal (@NSaina) <a href="https://twitter.com/NSaina/status/980813410056024064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2018</a></blockquote>
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She also added that she regularly takes him for her competitions and wanted his support for the Commonwealth Games.

"I wanted his support as I regularly take him for my competitions ...but I didn't understand why nobody informed me all this earlier .. that he can't enter anywhere #CommonwealthGames2018," she wrote.

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I wanted his support as I regularly take him for my competitions ...but i didn’t understand why nobody informed me all this earlier .. that he can’t enter anywhere <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CommonwealthGames2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CommonwealthGames2018</a>
— Saina Nehwal (@NSaina) <a href="https://twitter.com/NSaina/status/980814072538001408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The Gold Coast Commonwealth Games is slated to begin from tomorrow, with the opening ceremony scheduled to start at 1525 hours IST.

The 12-day event will end on April 15.&nbsp;

Nehwal said her father cannot stay with her

Expressing her disappointment in a series of tweets on Monday night, ace shuttler Saina Nehwal said her father, who was confirmed as part of the Indian contingent travelling to Australia for the 2018 Commonwealth Games, was denied entry in the Gold Coast Games Village. Nehwal said her father cannot stay with her. "Surprise to see that when we started from India for Commonwealth Games 2018 my father was confirmed as the team official and I paid the whole amount for that but when we came to the Games Village ... his name was cut from team official category .. and he can't even stay with me," she wrote on Twitter. Surprise to see that when we started from India for commonwealth games 2018 my father was confirmed as the team official and I paid the whole amount for that but when we came to the games village ... his name was cut from team official category .. and he can’t even stay with me . — Saina Nehwal (@NSaina) April 2, 2018 × Responding to that, Indian Olympic Association Tweeted, "Dear @NSaina , Mr. Harvir Singh is an accredited Extra Official! As stated in the CDM Manual of Gold Coast 2018 CWG and repeatedly conveyed to BAI, the payment for accreditation of Extra Official does not include bed in the Games Village." According to CWG guidelines, training partners and personal coaches are not entitled to access the Commonwealth Games Village (CGV). The access to CGV is facilitated by a guest pass allocation. Dear @NSaina , Mr. Harvir Singh is an accredited Extra Official! As stated in the CDM Manual of Gold Coast 2018 CWG and repeatedly conveyed to BAI, the payment for accreditation of Extra Official does not include bed in the Games Village. @Abhinav_Bindra @kannandelhi pic.twitter.com/Nl00WxS685 — IOA - Team India (@ioaindia) April 3, 2018 × The sports ministry had earlier cleared her father Harvir Singh Nehwal's name as an 'extra official' with the badminton squad for the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. London Olympics bronze medalist Saina tagged the Commonwealth Games Federation to express her concern. "He can't c my matches and he can't enter the village nor he can meet me in anyway .. what kind of support is this ..@thecgf," read another tweet. He can’t c my matches and he can’t enter the village nor he can meet me in anyway .. what kind of support is this ..@thecgf — Saina Nehwal (@NSaina) April 2, 2018 × She also added that she regularly takes him for her competitions and wanted his support for the Commonwealth Games. "I wanted his support as I regularly take him for my competitions ...but I didn't understand why nobody informed me all this earlier .. that he can't enter anywhere #CommonwealthGames2018," she wrote. I wanted his support as I regularly take him for my competitions ...but i didn’t understand why nobody informed me all this earlier .. that he can’t enter anywhere #CommonwealthGames2018 — Saina Nehwal (@NSaina) April 2, 2018 × The Gold Coast Commonwealth Games is slated to begin from tomorrow, with the opening ceremony scheduled to start at 1525 hours IST. The 12-day event will end on April 15.

Saina disappointed as father denied entry into CWG village

In any field, higher you go, tougher it gets to go further up. It is valid in sports as well. In sports, the hierarchy for any sportsperson goes like this, talented player – international success - world beater - undisputed best (legend). &nbspThe transition gets tougher as the level goes up.&nbsp

Star shuttler P V Sindhu has been one of the most outstanding Indian sportspersons in the recent times. Her accomplishments and achievements are unparalleled and words can’t give her enough compliments. She rose up in the hierarchy quickly. First, she became an international success after winning medals at the World Championships. Then she catapulted herself to the class of World Beater after her tremendous show at the RIO-2016. She was outstanding in RIO and missed the gold medal by a whisker.

Now she just needs to take one upward step to go into the class of undisputed Best or Legend of the game and this is something which we Indians have been anxiously waiting for a while now.

Despite all the calibre and sea-change in her game over the past few years, Sindhu’s tendency of just letting things go away at the big stages keeps her away from the immortality.

So it was another heartbreak at All England Championship when Sindhu lost out in the semi-final to the World No. 2 Akane Yamaguchi. &nbspDuring this year’s All England Championship, Sindhu had a dream run till the first game of the semi-final match. During the first game against Yamaguchi, Sindhu was once leading by 16-10 and it looked, Sindhu, all the way. But then she lost the momentum and Yamaguchi bounced back. Sindhu though managed to win the first game by 21-19 but lost out next two games in a close fight.

Sindhu has been outstanding as such during the tournament. She defeated world champion Nozomi Okuhara of Japan in the quarter-final in another epic three-game match but could not clear the hurdle of the semi-final.&nbsp

Sindhu’s career is clearly divided into different compartments. Pre 2014. Between 2013 and 2016 and then post 2016 RIO.

With Bronze Medal in 2013 World Championship, Sindhu struck in the global top league of women shuttlers. She won another bronze in the World Championship in 2014. During this era, though she had all the ingredients of a world beater she was highly inconsistent. On her day, she would be devastatingly good but just ordinary on some other day.

Gopichand worked very hard on her game during the run-up for the RIO 2016. Sindhu was far more consistent and matured player in 2016. Gopichand not only worked on her skills and stamina but also on the mental part of the game. Sindhu developed a knack for holding her nerves in tough situations and Gopichand taught her to capitalize on her natural aggressive game.

But the undisputed summit position has still been dodging her. In 2017, World Championship she lost out to Nozomi Okuhara in a marathon nailbiter, which many believe was one of the all-time greatest matches in women’s badminton. It was a match, which lasted for whopping 110 minutes. At 21-20 in the second game, Sindhu wan the point and the game after a gruelling and jaw-dropping 73 shots rally.

Call it her bad luck or her tendency to just losing nerves the final moment to seal things in her favour, Sindhu has lost three biggest matches of her career after a hard-fought battle. She lost in RIO 2016 final by 21-19, 12–21, 15-21, lost the final of World Championship in 2017 by 19-21, 22–20, 20-22 and now this defeat in the All England Championship by 21-19,19-21,18-21.

These are top three championships (Olympic, World Championship and All England), which Sindhu is yet to win. At this moment, she is just a notch below from being the undisputed best and a legend of the game. Sindhu is a tough campaigner. After her loss in All England Championship, she vowed to come back stronger. At just 22 years of age, she has a long career ahead of her.

With kind of talent she carries, the kind of fighter she is and the kind of mentor she has in form of Gopichand, Sindhu is bound to attain immortality. It just matters just some more time. 
&nbsp 
&nbsp(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

P V Sindhu just needs to take one upward step to go into the class of undisputed Best or Legend of the game and this is something which we Indians have been anxiously waiting for a while now.

In any field, higher you go, tougher it gets to go further up. It is valid in sports as well. In sports, the hierarchy for any sportsperson goes like this, talented player – international success - world beater - undisputed best (legend). &nbspThe transition gets tougher as the level goes up. Star shuttler P V Sindhu has been one of the most outstanding Indian sportspersons in the recent times. Her accomplishments and achievements are unparalleled and words can’t give her enough compliments. She rose up in the hierarchy quickly. First, she became an international success after winning medals at the World Championships. Then she catapulted herself to the class of World Beater after her tremendous show at the RIO-2016. She was outstanding in RIO and missed the gold medal by a whisker. Now she just needs to take one upward step to go into the class of undisputed Best or Legend of the game and this is something which we Indians have been anxiously waiting for a while now. Despite all the calibre and sea-change in her game over the past few years, Sindhu’s tendency of just letting things go away at the big stages keeps her away from the immortality. So it was another heartbreak at All England Championship when Sindhu lost out in the semi-final to the World No. 2 Akane Yamaguchi. &nbspDuring this year’s All England Championship, Sindhu had a dream run till the first game of the semi-final match. During the first game against Yamaguchi, Sindhu was once leading by 16-10 and it looked, Sindhu, all the way. But then she lost the momentum and Yamaguchi bounced back. Sindhu though managed to win the first game by 21-19 but lost out next two games in a close fight. Sindhu has been outstanding as such during the tournament. She defeated world champion Nozomi Okuhara of Japan in the quarter-final in another epic three-game match but could not clear the hurdle of the semi-final. Sindhu’s career is clearly divided into different compartments. Pre 2014. Between 2013 and 2016 and then post 2016 RIO. With Bronze Medal in 2013 World Championship, Sindhu struck in the global top league of women shuttlers. She won another bronze in the World Championship in 2014. During this era, though she had all the ingredients of a world beater she was highly inconsistent. On her day, she would be devastatingly good but just ordinary on some other day. Gopichand worked very hard on her game during the run-up for the RIO 2016. Sindhu was far more consistent and matured player in 2016. Gopichand not only worked on her skills and stamina but also on the mental part of the game. Sindhu developed a knack for holding her nerves in tough situations and Gopichand taught her to capitalize on her natural aggressive game. But the undisputed summit position has still been dodging her. In 2017, World Championship she lost out to Nozomi Okuhara in a marathon nailbiter, which many believe was one of the all-time greatest matches in women’s badminton. It was a match, which lasted for whopping 110 minutes. At 21-20 in the second game, Sindhu wan the point and the game after a gruelling and jaw-dropping 73 shots rally. Call it her bad luck or her tendency to just losing nerves the final moment to seal things in her favour, Sindhu has lost three biggest matches of her career after a hard-fought battle. She lost in RIO 2016 final by 21-19, 12–21, 15-21, lost the final of World Championship in 2017 by 19-21, 22–20, 20-22 and now this defeat in the All England Championship by 21-19,19-21,18-21. These are top three championships (Olympic, World Championship and All England), which Sindhu is yet to win. At this moment, she is just a notch below from being the undisputed best and a legend of the game. Sindhu is a tough campaigner. After her loss in All England Championship, she vowed to come back stronger. At just 22 years of age, she has a long career ahead of her. With kind of talent she carries, the kind of fighter she is and the kind of mentor she has in form of Gopichand, Sindhu is bound to attain immortality. It just matters just some more time. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: P V Sindhu is just a notch below from being a legend of the game

Ace Men Singles's shuttler Kidambi Srikanth on Tuesday was conferred with the country's fourth-highest civilian award, Padma Shri, from President Ram Nath Kovind at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.

Besides Kidambi, former Asian Games gold medallist tennis player Somdev Devvarman and first Paralympic gold medallist Murlikant Petkar also received the awards.

World No. 2 Srikanth has been honoured for his achievements in the field of Badminton.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PresidentKovind?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PresidentKovind</a> presents Padma Shri to Shri Kidambi Srikanth. He is the first Indian badminton player to win the golden trio of Grand Prix gold, Super Series and Super Series Premier titles <a href="https://t.co/rmiyg8vbDX">pic.twitter.com/rmiyg8vbDX</a>
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) <a href="https://twitter.com/rashtrapatibhvn/status/976125844862115841?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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He became the first Indian Badminton player to win the golden trio which is Grand Prix Gold, Super Series, and Super Series Premier titles.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

This year, former India cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and multiple world champion cueist Pankaj Advani were conferred with the country's third-highest civilian award, Padma Bhushan.&nbsp;

This year, as many as 85 Padma awards were announced, including two duo cases (in a duo case, the award is counted as one).&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PresidentKovind?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PresidentKovind</a> presents Padma Shri to Dr Joyasree Goswami Mahanta in the field of Literature & Education. A writer, educationist and social worker from Assam, Dr Mahanta highlights various facets of the society through her literary work <a href="https://t.co/IS7fPOtfcm">pic.twitter.com/IS7fPOtfcm</a>
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) <a href="https://twitter.com/rashtrapatibhvn/status/976132239376375808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PresidentKovind?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PresidentKovind</a> presents Padma Shri to Shri Amitava Roy in the field of Science & Engineering. He is a Nuclear Scientist specialising in spent fuel reprocessing & radioactive nuclear waste management <a href="https://t.co/858yPoekaU">pic.twitter.com/858yPoekaU</a>
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) <a href="https://twitter.com/rashtrapatibhvn/status/976131633689448449?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PresidentKovind?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PresidentKovind</a> presents Padma Shri to Shri Amitava Roy in the field of Science & Engineering. He is a Nuclear Scientist specialising in spent fuel reprocessing & radioactive nuclear waste management <a href="https://t.co/858yPoekaU">pic.twitter.com/858yPoekaU</a>
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) <a href="https://twitter.com/rashtrapatibhvn/status/976131633689448449?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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World No. 2 Srikanth has been honoured for his achievements in the field of Badminton

Ace Men Singles's shuttler Kidambi Srikanth on Tuesday was conferred with the country's fourth-highest civilian award, Padma Shri, from President Ram Nath Kovind at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. Besides Kidambi, former Asian Games gold medallist tennis player Somdev Devvarman and first Paralympic gold medallist Murlikant Petkar also received the awards. World No. 2 Srikanth has been honoured for his achievements in the field of Badminton. #PresidentKovind presents Padma Shri to Shri Kidambi Srikanth. He is the first Indian badminton player to win the golden trio of Grand Prix gold, Super Series and Super Series Premier titles pic.twitter.com/rmiyg8vbDX — President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) March 20, 2018 × He became the first Indian Badminton player to win the golden trio which is Grand Prix Gold, Super Series, and Super Series Premier titles. This year, former India cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and multiple world champion cueist Pankaj Advani were conferred with the country's third-highest civilian award, Padma Bhushan. This year, as many as 85 Padma awards were announced, including two duo cases (in a duo case, the award is counted as one). #PresidentKovind presents Padma Shri to Dr Joyasree Goswami Mahanta in the field of Literature & Education. A writer, educationist and social worker from Assam, Dr Mahanta highlights various facets of the society through her literary work pic.twitter.com/IS7fPOtfcm — President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) March 20, 2018 × #PresidentKovind presents Padma Shri to Shri Amitava Roy in the field of Science & Engineering. He is a Nuclear Scientist specialising in spent fuel reprocessing & radioactive nuclear waste management pic.twitter.com/858yPoekaU — President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) March 20, 2018 × #PresidentKovind presents Padma Shri to Shri Amitava Roy in the field of Science & Engineering. He is a Nuclear Scientist specialising in spent fuel reprocessing & radioactive nuclear waste management pic.twitter.com/858yPoekaU — President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) March 20, 2018 ×

Kidambi Srikanth conferred with Padma Shri award

Ace Men Singles&#39;s shuttler Kidambi Srikanth on Tuesday was conferred with the country&#39;s fourth-highest civilian award, Padma Shri, from President Ram Nath Kovind at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.

Besides Kidambi, former Asian Games gold medallist tennis player Somdev Devvarman and first Paralympic gold medallist Murlikant Petkar also received the awards.

World No. 2 Srikanth has been honoured for his achievements in the field of Badminton.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PresidentKovind?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PresidentKovind</a> presents Padma Shri to Shri Kidambi Srikanth. He is the first Indian badminton player to win the golden trio of Grand Prix gold, Super Series and Super Series Premier titles <a href="https://t.co/rmiyg8vbDX">pic.twitter.com/rmiyg8vbDX</a>
&mdash; President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) <a href="https://twitter.com/rashtrapatibhvn/status/976125844862115841?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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He became the first Indian Badminton player to win the golden trio which is Grand Prix Gold, Super Series, and Super Series Premier titles.&nbsp;

This year, former India cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and multiple world champion cueist Pankaj Advani were conferred with the country&#39;s third-highest civilian award, Padma Bhushan.&nbsp;

This year, as many as 85 Padma awards were announced, including two duo cases (in a duo case, the award is counted as one).&nbsp;

Srikanth has been honoured for his achievements in the field of Badminton

Ace Men Singles's shuttler Kidambi Srikanth on Tuesday was conferred with the country's fourth-highest civilian award, Padma Shri, from President Ram Nath Kovind at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. Besides Kidambi, former Asian Games gold medallist tennis player Somdev Devvarman and first Paralympic gold medallist Murlikant Petkar also received the awards. World No. 2 Srikanth has been honoured for his achievements in the field of Badminton. #PresidentKovind presents Padma Shri to Shri Kidambi Srikanth. He is the first Indian badminton player to win the golden trio of Grand Prix gold, Super Series and Super Series Premier titles pic.twitter.com/rmiyg8vbDX — President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) March 20, 2018 × He became the first Indian Badminton player to win the golden trio which is Grand Prix Gold, Super Series, and Super Series Premier titles. This year, former India cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and multiple world champion cueist Pankaj Advani were conferred with the country's third-highest civilian award, Padma Bhushan. This year, as many as 85 Padma awards were announced, including two duo cases (in a duo case, the award is counted as one).

In any field, higher you go, tougher it gets to go further up. It is valid in sports as well. In sports, the hierarchy for any sportsperson goes like this, talented player &ndash; international success &ndash; world beater &ndash; undisputed best (legend). &nbsp;The transition gets tougher as the level goes up.&nbsp;

Star shuttler P V Sindhu has been one of the most outstanding Indian sportspersons in the recent times. Her accomplishments and achievements are unparalleled and words can&rsquo;t give her enough compliments. She rose up in the hierarchy quickly. First, she became an international success after winning medals at the World Championships. Then she catapulted herself to the class of World Beater after her tremendous show at the RIO-2016. She was outstanding in RIO and missed the gold medal by a whisker.

Now she just needs to take one upward step to go into the class of undisputed Best or Legend of the game and this is something which we Indians have been anxiously waiting for a while now.

Despite all the calibre and sea-change in her game over the past few years, Sindhu&rsquo;s tendency of just letting things go away at the big stages keeps her away from the immortality.

So it was another heartbreak at All England Championship when Sindhu lost out in the semi-final to the World No. 2 Akane Yamaguchi. &nbsp;During this year&rsquo;s All England Championship, Sindhu had a dream run till the first game of the semi-final match. During the first game against Yamaguchi, Sindhu was once leading by 16-10 and it looked, Sindhu, all the way. But then she lost the momentum and Yamaguchi bounced back. Sindhu though managed to win the first game by 21-19 but lost out next two games in a close fight. 
Sindhu has been outstanding as such during the tournament. She defeated world champion Nozomi Okuhara of Japan in the quarter-final in another epic three-game match but could not clear the hurdle of the semi-final.&nbsp;

Sindhu&rsquo;s career is clearly divided into different compartments. Pre 2014. Between 2013 and 2016 and then post 2016 RIO.

With Bronze Medal in 2013 World Championship, Sindhu struck in the global top league of women shuttlers. She won another bronze in the World Championship in 2014. During this era, though she had all the ingredients of a world beater; she was highly inconsistent. On her day, she would be devastatingly good but just ordinary on some other day.

Gopichand worked very hard on her game during the run-up for the RIO 2016. Sindhu was far more consistent and matured player in 2016. Gopichand not only worked on her skills and stamina but also on the mental part of the game. Sindhu developed a knack for holding her nerves in tough situations and Gopichand taught her to capitalize on her natural aggressive game.

But the undisputed summit position has still been dodging her. In 2017, World Championship she lost out to Nozomi Okuhara in a marathon nailbiter, which many believe was one of the all-time greatest matches in women&rsquo;s badminton. It was a match, which lasted for whopping 110 minutes. At 21-20 in the second game, Sindhu wan the point and the game after a gruelling and jaw-dropping 73 shots rally.

Call it her bad luck or her tendency to just losing nerves the final moment to seal things in her favour, Sindhu has lost three biggest matches of her career after a hard-fought battle. She lost in RIO 2016 final by 21-19, 12&ndash;21, 15-21, lost the final of World Championship in 2017 by 19-21, 22&ndash;20, 20-22 and now this defeat in the All England Championship by 21-19,19-21,18-21.

These are top three championships (Olympic, World Championship and All England), which Sindhu is yet to win. At this moment, she is just a notch below from being the undisputed best and a legend of the game. Sindhu is a tough campaigner. After her loss in All England Championship, she vowed to come back stronger. At just 22 years of age, she has a long career ahead of her.

With kind of talent she carries, the kind of fighter she is and the kind of mentor she has in form of Gopichand, Sindhu is bound to attain immortality. It just matters just some more time. 
&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
&nbsp;(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

In any field, higher you go, tougher it gets to go further up. It is valid in sports as well. In sports, the hierarchy for any sportsperson goes like this, talented player – international success – world beater – undisputed best (legend). The transition gets tougher as the level goes up. Star shuttler P V Sindhu has been one of the most outstanding Indian sportspersons in the recent times. Her accomplishments and achievements are unparalleled and words can’t give her enough compliments. She rose up in the hierarchy quickly. First, she became an international success after winning medals at the World Championships. Then she catapulted herself to the class of World Beater after her tremendous show at the RIO-2016. She was outstanding in RIO and missed the gold medal by a whisker. Now she just needs to take one upward step to go into the class of undisputed Best or Legend of the game and this is something which we Indians have been anxiously waiting for a while now. Despite all the calibre and sea-change in her game over the past few years, Sindhu’s tendency of just letting things go away at the big stages keeps her away from the immortality. So it was another heartbreak at All England Championship when Sindhu lost out in the semi-final to the World No. 2 Akane Yamaguchi. During this year’s All England Championship, Sindhu had a dream run till the first game of the semi-final match. During the first game against Yamaguchi, Sindhu was once leading by 16-10 and it looked, Sindhu, all the way. But then she lost the momentum and Yamaguchi bounced back. Sindhu though managed to win the first game by 21-19 but lost out next two games in a close fight. Sindhu has been outstanding as such during the tournament. She defeated world champion Nozomi Okuhara of Japan in the quarter-final in another epic three-game match but could not clear the hurdle of the semi-final. Sindhu’s career is clearly divided into different compartments. Pre 2014. Between 2013 and 2016 and then post 2016 RIO. With Bronze Medal in 2013 World Championship, Sindhu struck in the global top league of women shuttlers. She won another bronze in the World Championship in 2014. During this era, though she had all the ingredients of a world beater; she was highly inconsistent. On her day, she would be devastatingly good but just ordinary on some other day. Gopichand worked very hard on her game during the run-up for the RIO 2016. Sindhu was far more consistent and matured player in 2016. Gopichand not only worked on her skills and stamina but also on the mental part of the game. Sindhu developed a knack for holding her nerves in tough situations and Gopichand taught her to capitalize on her natural aggressive game. But the undisputed summit position has still been dodging her. In 2017, World Championship she lost out to Nozomi Okuhara in a marathon nailbiter, which many believe was one of the all-time greatest matches in women’s badminton. It was a match, which lasted for whopping 110 minutes. At 21-20 in the second game, Sindhu wan the point and the game after a gruelling and jaw-dropping 73 shots rally. Call it her bad luck or her tendency to just losing nerves the final moment to seal things in her favour, Sindhu has lost three biggest matches of her career after a hard-fought battle. She lost in RIO 2016 final by 21-19, 12–21, 15-21, lost the final of World Championship in 2017 by 19-21, 22–20, 20-22 and now this defeat in the All England Championship by 21-19,19-21,18-21. These are top three championships (Olympic, World Championship and All England), which Sindhu is yet to win. At this moment, she is just a notch below from being the undisputed best and a legend of the game. Sindhu is a tough campaigner. After her loss in All England Championship, she vowed to come back stronger. At just 22 years of age, she has a long career ahead of her. With kind of talent she carries, the kind of fighter she is and the kind of mentor she has in form of Gopichand, Sindhu is bound to attain immortality. It just matters just some more time. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: P V Sindhu is just a notch below from being a legend of the game 

India&#39;s formidable duo of PV Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth will have no dearth of motivation as they aim to win the coveted All England Championships starting tomorrow -- something their mentor P Gopichand won 17 summers back.

The All England Championship is considered to be the ultimate glory for any shuttler worth his salt and in India, only Prakash Padukone (1980) and Gopichand (2001) earned their rights to stand on the victory podium.

Sindhu and Srikanth are expected to have easy first round outings against relatively unheralded opponents but the road is tricky for former finalist Saina Nehwal, who will face none other than world No 1 and defending champion Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei in the lung opener.

Tai Tzu has proved to be her nemesis with an overall 9-5 record against her. The Indian has lost the last seven outings, the most recent being at the Indonesia Masters final early in the year. 
Fourth seed Sindhu, on the other hand, would open her campaign against a relatively unknown Thail shuttler Pornpawee Chochuwong in the opening round but could face her India Open conqueror Beiwen Zhang in the next.

Srikanth, meanwhile, seems to have an easy opening round against Frenchman Brice Leverdez.

The Indian badminton is going through a golden period with a clutch of world-class performers in its ranks, courtesy Gopichand.

Among his disciples, London Olympics bronze medallist Nehwal came agonisingly close losing the final to Carolina Marin in 2015 while Sindhu&#39;s quarter-final finish in 2017 has been her best shot in the Championships so far.

Men&#39;s world no 3 Srikanth enjoyed a fabulous 2017, where he won four Super Series title and is certainly one of the contenders in the men&#39;s section alongside Danish world No 1 Viktor Axelsen and Malaysian legend Lee Chong Wei.

Srikanth had crashed out in the opening round last year and would like to turn the tables this time around.

Given the tricky nature of the draw at the USD 1000,000 blue-riband event, which boosts of a star-studded field, it will take a consistent top-class performance for successive five days to bag a gold this week and the Indian trio will have their task cut out.

When Saina was asked about facing world No 1 in the first round, she said: &quot;Tai Tzu has won a number of tournaments last year, so it is not only the Indians who are losing to her.

She is the best player right now, she is tricky, she is very focused but it is not that we can&#39;t beat her.

&quot;We will have to figure out a way to beat her. I think it is a matter of time,&quot; the world No 11 had exuded confidence during a recent interaction.

For Sindhu, it will be about setting the record straight against Zhang, who beat her at the Indian Open.

&quot;I have six weeks of training under my belt and I hope I do well at All England Championships. There are many tournaments this year, So I just hope that I give my best and play my game,? the Rio Olympic silver medallist said.

The immensely talented Srikanth will like to keep the guard up as the French shuttler has a good defensive game, which enabled him to dispatch former world No 1 Lee Chong Wei in the first round at last year&#39;s World Championship.

&quot;The All England is one most prestigious events because it has a history of 100 years attached to it. Prakash sir and Gopichand sir have done extremely well at the All England.

They will always be a source of inspiration for us. I would say winning these tournaments, will definitely give the player legendary status,? said the world no 3 Indian.

Among others, Singapore Open champion Sai Praneeth and world no 12 H S Prannoy are the dark horses and can upstage even the best in business on their given day.

While Praneeth will take on former world number on Son Wan Ho of Korea, an opponent he has not beaten yet, in the opening round, Prannoy, who recovered from a foot infection a few weeks back, is drawn to take on eighth seed Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei. 
&quot;I hardly had two weeks of training because of warts in my foot. So not expecting much. I am mentally fresh and I would look to regain my form here,&quot; Prannoy said.

In the doubles events, Indonesia Open semi-finalists Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy will face Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi of Japan.

If they clear the first hurdle, they are likely to face second seeds Mathias Boe and Carsten Mogensen of Denmark in the second round.

Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy will clash with Marcus Ellis and Chris Langridge in the opening round, while women&#39;s doubles pair of Ashwini Ponnappa and N Sikki Reddy will face second seeds Japanese combo of Misaki Matsumo and Ayaka Takahashi.

Mixed doubles combo of Pranaav Jerry Chopra and Sikki will square off against German pair of Marvin Emil Seidel and Linda Efler.

Slammed by most of the top players and coaches, the controversial service rule? which says a shuttlecock shall be held less than 1.15 metres (3.8 feet) from a court&#39;s surface before serving? will also be tried out at the All England Open.

The Indian shuttlers had some useful sessions with technical official Vemuri Sudha Kar ahead of the tournament to tackle the rule, it would be interesting to see how shuttler worldwide deal with it during the week.

The All England Championship is considered to be the ultimate glory for any shuttler worth his salt and in India

India's formidable duo of PV Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth will have no dearth of motivation as they aim to win the coveted All England Championships starting tomorrow -- something their mentor P Gopichand won 17 summers back. The All England Championship is considered to be the ultimate glory for any shuttler worth his salt and in India, only Prakash Padukone (1980) and Gopichand (2001) earned their rights to stand on the victory podium. Sindhu and Srikanth are expected to have easy first round outings against relatively unheralded opponents but the road is tricky for former finalist Saina Nehwal, who will face none other than world No 1 and defending champion Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei in the lung opener. Tai Tzu has proved to be her nemesis with an overall 9-5 record against her. The Indian has lost the last seven outings, the most recent being at the Indonesia Masters final early in the year. Fourth seed Sindhu, on the other hand, would open her campaign against a relatively unknown Thail shuttler Pornpawee Chochuwong in the opening round but could face her India Open conqueror Beiwen Zhang in the next. Srikanth, meanwhile, seems to have an easy opening round against Frenchman Brice Leverdez. The Indian badminton is going through a golden period with a clutch of world-class performers in its ranks, courtesy Gopichand. Among his disciples, London Olympics bronze medallist Nehwal came agonisingly close losing the final to Carolina Marin in 2015 while Sindhu's quarter-final finish in 2017 has been her best shot in the Championships so far. Men's world no 3 Srikanth enjoyed a fabulous 2017, where he won four Super Series title and is certainly one of the contenders in the men's section alongside Danish world No 1 Viktor Axelsen and Malaysian legend Lee Chong Wei. Srikanth had crashed out in the opening round last year and would like to turn the tables this time around. Given the tricky nature of the draw at the USD 1000,000 blue-riband event, which boosts of a star-studded field, it will take a consistent top-class performance for successive five days to bag a gold this week and the Indian trio will have their task cut out. When Saina was asked about facing world No 1 in the first round, she said: "Tai Tzu has won a number of tournaments last year, so it is not only the Indians who are losing to her. She is the best player right now, she is tricky, she is very focused but it is not that we can't beat her. "We will have to figure out a way to beat her. I think it is a matter of time," the world No 11 had exuded confidence during a recent interaction. For Sindhu, it will be about setting the record straight against Zhang, who beat her at the Indian Open. "I have six weeks of training under my belt and I hope I do well at All England Championships. There are many tournaments this year, So I just hope that I give my best and play my game,? the Rio Olympic silver medallist said. The immensely talented Srikanth will like to keep the guard up as the French shuttler has a good defensive game, which enabled him to dispatch former world No 1 Lee Chong Wei in the first round at last year's World Championship. "The All England is one most prestigious events because it has a history of 100 years attached to it. Prakash sir and Gopichand sir have done extremely well at the All England. They will always be a source of inspiration for us. I would say winning these tournaments, will definitely give the player legendary status,? said the world no 3 Indian. Among others, Singapore Open champion Sai Praneeth and world no 12 H S Prannoy are the dark horses and can upstage even the best in business on their given day. While Praneeth will take on former world number on Son Wan Ho of Korea, an opponent he has not beaten yet, in the opening round, Prannoy, who recovered from a foot infection a few weeks back, is drawn to take on eighth seed Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei. "I hardly had two weeks of training because of warts in my foot. So not expecting much. I am mentally fresh and I would look to regain my form here," Prannoy said. In the doubles events, Indonesia Open semi-finalists Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy will face Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi of Japan. If they clear the first hurdle, they are likely to face second seeds Mathias Boe and Carsten Mogensen of Denmark in the second round. Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy will clash with Marcus Ellis and Chris Langridge in the opening round, while women's doubles pair of Ashwini Ponnappa and N Sikki Reddy will face second seeds Japanese combo of Misaki Matsumo and Ayaka Takahashi. Mixed doubles combo of Pranaav Jerry Chopra and Sikki will square off against German pair of Marvin Emil Seidel and Linda Efler. Slammed by most of the top players and coaches, the controversial service rule? which says a shuttlecock shall be held less than 1.15 metres (3.8 feet) from a court's surface before serving? will also be tried out at the All England Open. The Indian shuttlers had some useful sessions with technical official Vemuri Sudha Kar ahead of the tournament to tackle the rule, it would be interesting to see how shuttler worldwide deal with it during the week.

Sindhu, Srikanth eye All England Championship

A controversial new badminton rule that may have put many of its taller players at a disadvantage has been panned by some of the sport&#39;s greats, local media reported.

The rule -- which says a shuttlecock shall be held less than 1.15 metres (3.8 feet) from a court&#39;s surface before serving -- will be tried out at the All England Open in Birmingham, which runs March 14-18.

World number two Lee Chong Wei criticised the new serve rule, which took effect on March 1.

&quot;The Badminton World Federation (BWF) should have opted for small tournaments to test it,&quot; Lee was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times on Friday.

Lee, who will be playing in the All England Open, said he would have to make adjustments to his game.&nbsp;

&quot;If I make a mistake with my serve during the All England (tournament), I will ask the umpire (about) the proper way to execute it,&quot; the Malaysian star said.&nbsp;

Lee is 1.72 metres tall, shorter than several other top-ten players.

In January, world number one Viktor Axelsen -- 1.94 metres tall -- was quoted by Malaysian daily The Star as calling the new rule &quot;ridiculous&quot;.

In an April 2017 YouTube video, Axelson was seen mocking the rule by squatting and kneeling while serving at a training session.&nbsp;

A November 2017 post on the BWF website quoted its president Poul-Erik Hoyer as saying it was &quot;looking for new ways to improve how the service laws are applied&quot;.&nbsp;

BWF officials could not be reached for comment.

World amount two Lee Chong dynasties commented the new serve rule, which acted phenomenon on March 1

A controversial new badminton rule that may have put many of its taller players at a disadvantage has been panned by some of the sport's greats, local media reported. The rule -- which says a shuttlecock shall be held less than 1.15 metres (3.8 feet) from a court's surface before serving -- will be tried out at the All England Open in Birmingham, which runs March 14-18. World number two Lee Chong Wei criticised the new serve rule, which took effect on March 1. "The Badminton World Federation (BWF) should have opted for small tournaments to test it," Lee was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times on Friday. Lee, who will be playing in the All England Open, said he would have to make adjustments to his game. "If I make a mistake with my serve during the All England (tournament), I will ask the umpire (about) the proper way to execute it," the Malaysian star said. Lee is 1.72 metres tall, shorter than several other top-ten players. In January, world number one Viktor Axelsen -- 1.94 metres tall -- was quoted by Malaysian daily The Star as calling the new rule "ridiculous". In an April 2017 YouTube video, Axelson was seen mocking the rule by squatting and kneeling while serving at a training session. A November 2017 post on the BWF website quoted its president Poul-Erik Hoyer as saying it was "looking for new ways to improve how the service laws are applied". BWF officials could not be reached for comment.

New badminton serve rule a tall order, say champs

Shi Yuqi became the first Chinese player to win the India Open men&#39;s singles badminton title, defeating Chou Tien-Chen in the final in New Delhi on Sunday.

Fourth-seed Shi overcame tough resistance from Chou, seeded third, to win the clash 21-18, 21-14 in 47 minutes.

Chou, who lost his second successive final in the BWF World Tour Super 500 tournament, took an early lead and had a four-point advantage at the mid-game break at 11-7.

But Shi fought back, getting nine points on the trot to win the first game in 24 minutes and carrying the momentum into the second game.

It was 21-year-old Shi&#39;s fourth major career title after he won the France SuperSeries 2016 and two Grand Prix gold medals.

&quot;Last year I didn&#39;t win any tournament, so glad to win this and hope this (is the) first of many to come,&quot; world number eight Yuqi&nbsp;said.

&quot;There were a lot of long rallies in this tournament and I will take a lot of positives from here. It will boost my confidence,&quot; he added.

In the women&#39;s singles, Beiwen Zhang won a hard-fought battle against top-seed Pusarla Venkata Sindhu of India 21-18, 11-21, 22-20 in one hour and nine minutes.

It was fifth-seeded Zhang&#39;s first major world title as she survived a championship point at 19-21 to win the third and deciding game.

Sindhu, who won the 2017 India Open, came back fighting in the second game but fell to Zhang&#39;s&nbsp;aggressive play.

&quot;I had nothing (to) lose, but I think she took more pressure than me and she couldn&#39;t control,&quot; the China-born Zhang told reporters.

&quot;I played a lot of smashes and an attacking game which I generally don&#39;t. This is my first major title, so I am really happy. I guess this is the best moment of my career.&quot;

Earlier, the Indonesian pair of Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo won their fifth straight men&#39;s doubles title and third India Open after beating Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen of Denmark.

Indonesia ruled in the women&#39;s doubles as well, with Greysia Polii and Apriani Rahayu defeating Thailand&#39;s Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai 21-18, 21-15.

&nbsp;

Fourth-seed Shi overcame tough resistance from Chou, seeded third, to win the clash 21-18, 21-14 in 47 minutes

Shi Yuqi became the first Chinese player to win the India Open men's singles badminton title, defeating Chou Tien-Chen in the final in New Delhi on Sunday. Fourth-seed Shi overcame tough resistance from Chou, seeded third, to win the clash 21-18, 21-14 in 47 minutes. Chou, who lost his second successive final in the BWF World Tour Super 500 tournament, took an early lead and had a four-point advantage at the mid-game break at 11-7. But Shi fought back, getting nine points on the trot to win the first game in 24 minutes and carrying the momentum into the second game. It was 21-year-old Shi's fourth major career title after he won the France SuperSeries 2016 and two Grand Prix gold medals. "Last year I didn't win any tournament, so glad to win this and hope this (is the) first of many to come," world number eight Yuqi said. "There were a lot of long rallies in this tournament and I will take a lot of positives from here. It will boost my confidence," he added. In the women's singles, Beiwen Zhang won a hard-fought battle against top-seed Pusarla Venkata Sindhu of India 21-18, 11-21, 22-20 in one hour and nine minutes. It was fifth-seeded Zhang's first major world title as she survived a championship point at 19-21 to win the third and deciding game. Sindhu, who won the 2017 India Open, came back fighting in the second game but fell to Zhang's aggressive play. "I had nothing (to) lose, but I think she took more pressure than me and she couldn't control," the China-born Zhang told reporters. "I played a lot of smashes and an attacking game which I generally don't. This is my first major title, so I am really happy. I guess this is the best moment of my career." Earlier, the Indonesian pair of Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo won their fifth straight men's doubles title and third India Open after beating Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen of Denmark. Indonesia ruled in the women's doubles as well, with Greysia Polii and Apriani Rahayu defeating Thailand's Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai 21-18, 21-15.

Shi defeats Chou to clinch India Open

Defending champion P V Sindhu suffered a narrow defeat in a pulsating final against American Beiwen Zhang to finish runner-up at the India Open Super 300 badminton tournament, here today.

Playing her second tournament of the new season, Sindhu came agonisingly close to clinching the title before losing 18-21 21-11 20-22 to Zhang in the women&#39;s singles final.

Sindhu always played long matches against Zhang, all of them going to the decider, and it was no different as the duo battled to the last point.

Prior to today&#39;s loss, Sindhu had won twice and lost once at the Indonesia Super Series Premier last year against the American.

All England Championships finalist and fourth seed Shi Yuqi of China walked away with the men&#39;s crown after beating world no 7 and third-seeded Taiwanese Chou Tien Chen 21-18 21-14 in a 47-minute duel.

&quot;Last year I didn&#39;t win any tournament, so glad to win this and hope this becomes first of many to come,&quot; world no 8 Shi Yuqi said through an interpreter.

&quot;I had played him before, so I analysed those matches and it helped me win today. There were a lot of long rallies in this tournament and I will take a lot of positives from here. It will boost my confidence.&quot;

Chou, who settled for runner-up here for the second successive time, said: &quot;I tried to push him but it is difficult to play against him. He smashed well. He is young and was stronger today. He was more focused than me.&quot;

Fifth-seeded Danish combo of Mathias Christiansen and Christinna Pedersen prevailed 21-14 21-15 over Indonesian pair of Praveen Jordan and Melati Daeva Oktavianti in a 37-minute match to claim the mixed doubles crown, their first title together.

Mathias and Christinna had combined at the Denmark Open for the first time and finished runners-up at China Open Super Series Premier and Hong Kong Open Super Series last year.

&quot;We know the Indonesians are very good and if we play too defensive or slow it will be difficult to beat them so we played an attacking game,&quot; said Christinna after the match.

&quot;It is a long season and we would be playing at European Championship and All England next, which would be a big challenge,&quot; she added. 
&nbsp;

Third seeded Indonesian pair of Greysia Polii and Apriyani Rahayu, who are ranked world no 7, defeated second-seeded Thailand combo of Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai 21-18 21-15 in a 58-minute match to clinch the women&#39;s doubles title.&nbsp;

Prior to today's loss, Sindhu had won twice and lost once at the Indonesia Super Series Premier last year against the American

Defending champion P V Sindhu suffered a narrow defeat in a pulsating final against American Beiwen Zhang to finish runner-up at the India Open Super 300 badminton tournament, here today. Playing her second tournament of the new season, Sindhu came agonisingly close to clinching the title before losing 18-21 21-11 20-22 to Zhang in the women's singles final. Sindhu always played long matches against Zhang, all of them going to the decider, and it was no different as the duo battled to the last point. Prior to today's loss, Sindhu had won twice and lost once at the Indonesia Super Series Premier last year against the American. All England Championships finalist and fourth seed Shi Yuqi of China walked away with the men's crown after beating world no 7 and third-seeded Taiwanese Chou Tien Chen 21-18 21-14 in a 47-minute duel. "Last year I didn't win any tournament, so glad to win this and hope this becomes first of many to come," world no 8 Shi Yuqi said through an interpreter. "I had played him before, so I analysed those matches and it helped me win today. There were a lot of long rallies in this tournament and I will take a lot of positives from here. It will boost my confidence." Chou, who settled for runner-up here for the second successive time, said: "I tried to push him but it is difficult to play against him. He smashed well. He is young and was stronger today. He was more focused than me." Fifth-seeded Danish combo of Mathias Christiansen and Christinna Pedersen prevailed 21-14 21-15 over Indonesian pair of Praveen Jordan and Melati Daeva Oktavianti in a 37-minute match to claim the mixed doubles crown, their first title together. Mathias and Christinna had combined at the Denmark Open for the first time and finished runners-up at China Open Super Series Premier and Hong Kong Open Super Series last year. "We know the Indonesians are very good and if we play too defensive or slow it will be difficult to beat them so we played an attacking game," said Christinna after the match. "It is a long season and we would be playing at European Championship and All England next, which would be a big challenge," she added. Third seeded Indonesian pair of Greysia Polii and Apriyani Rahayu, who are ranked world no 7, defeated second-seeded Thailand combo of Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai 21-18 21-15 in a 58-minute match to clinch the women's doubles title.

Indian Open: Sindhu finishes runner-up

Defending champion Pusarla Venkata Sindhu of India stormed into the final of the India Open badminton tournament Saturday to set up a title clash with American Beiwen Zhang in New Delhi.

Top-seeded Sindhu, 22, eased past third-seeded Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand 21-13, 21-15 in the semi-final that lasted 48 minutes.

The lanky Sindhu displayed admirable maturity against former world No.1 Intanon in the last-four encounter, as she dominated proceedings in front of a raucous home crowd.

Earlier, fifth-seed Zhang&nbsp;had a tough outing against Cheung Ngan Yi of Hong Kong but prevailed 14-21, 21-12, 21-19.

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In men&#39;s action, China&#39;s Shi Yuqi staved off stiff competition from Iskandar Zulkarnain to enter the finals of the BWF World Tour Super 500 tournament.

The fourth-seeded Yuqi set up an exciting title clash with Taiwan&#39;s Chou Tien Chen, who beat Qiao Bin of China 23-21, 21-16.

But Yuqi was pushed to the limit in the semi-final that lasted one hour and nine minutes before getting past Zulkarnain of Malaysia 18-21, 21-10, 21-19.

Zulkarnain, who came in as a qualifier, got past some top names in the league stage including home favourite and second-seed Kidambi Srikanth in the last-16 clash.

The tournament saw top women shuttlers falter with India&#39;s Saina Nehwal and Carolina Marin of Spain losing out in the quarter-finals.

World number one Viktor Axelsen also pulled out on the eve of the $350,000 tournament, taking some sheen out of the men&#39;s field.

&nbsp;

Top-seeded Sindhu, 22, eased past third-seeded Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand 21-13, 21-15 in the semi-final that lasted 48 minutes

Defending champion Pusarla Venkata Sindhu of India stormed into the final of the India Open badminton tournament Saturday to set up a title clash with American Beiwen Zhang in New Delhi. Top-seeded Sindhu, 22, eased past third-seeded Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand 21-13, 21-15 in the semi-final that lasted 48 minutes. The lanky Sindhu displayed admirable maturity against former world No.1 Intanon in the last-four encounter, as she dominated proceedings in front of a raucous home crowd. Earlier, fifth-seed Zhang had a tough outing against Cheung Ngan Yi of Hong Kong but prevailed 14-21, 21-12, 21-19. #FLASH PV Sindhu enters Women's single final in India Open Badminton defeating Ratchanok Intanon by 21-13, 21-15 in semi final (File pic) pic.twitter.com/lEWjHXLf6s — ANI (@ANI) February 3, 2018 × In men's action, China's Shi Yuqi staved off stiff competition from Iskandar Zulkarnain to enter the finals of the BWF World Tour Super 500 tournament. The fourth-seeded Yuqi set up an exciting title clash with Taiwan's Chou Tien Chen, who beat Qiao Bin of China 23-21, 21-16. But Yuqi was pushed to the limit in the semi-final that lasted one hour and nine minutes before getting past Zulkarnain of Malaysia 18-21, 21-10, 21-19. Zulkarnain, who came in as a qualifier, got past some top names in the league stage including home favourite and second-seed Kidambi Srikanth in the last-16 clash. The tournament saw top women shuttlers falter with India's Saina Nehwal and Carolina Marin of Spain losing out in the quarter-finals. World number one Viktor Axelsen also pulled out on the eve of the $350,000 tournament, taking some sheen out of the men's field.

PV Sindhu enters India Open badminton final, foils Intanon in semi-final

World number one Viktor Axelsen, Malaysia&#39;s Lee Chong Wei and China&#39;s Lin Dan have expressed concerns about a new badminton tournament structure requiring players to compete in more events.

The complaints emerged at the Malaysia Masters in Kuala Lumpur, which has been upgraded this year by governing body the Badminton World Federation (BWF) as it looks to raise the sport&#39;s profile and ramp up revenues.

The new tour series -- featuring six levels and higher prize money -- kicks off this year and runs until 2021. At least a million dollars is up for grabs in each of its top four events.

But it also requires athletes to compete in more events -- the top 15 singles players and top 10 doubles pairings must take part in 12 a year, an additional two from the previous structure.

The Malaysia Masters, which has seen its prize money almost triple to $350,000, attracted many more big names than it had in the past as players seek to fulfil the requirements.&nbsp;

But some complained competing in so many events this year would be a burden, and a string of top players crashed out on the opening day Wednesday -- world number two Lee, five-time world champion Lin and Olympic champion Chen Long.

Lee said he was prepared to pay a penalty to skip an event if he felt he needed to.

&quot;If I have to pay a fine for skipping an event, I will. I&#39;m not 25 anymore, I&#39;m 36 this year,&quot; said Lee Wednesday after losing to Japan&#39;s Kenta Nishimoto.

&quot;I don&#39;t think BWF will review the format, because if they wanted to, they would have done it.&quot;

Denmark&#39;s Axelsen, who beat South Korea&#39;s Lee Hyun-Il in the opening round, was also critical: &quot;We (would) rather have high quality than too many tournaments where the best players can&#39;t perform because we don&#39;t have time to train.&quot;

Five-time world champion Lin, who was beaten by Indonesia&#39;s Ihsan Maulana Mustofa, added: &quot;The top players will focus on the big tournaments... If we have to play in so many tournaments, we won&#39;t play our best.&quot;

The BWF did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The Malaysia Masters runs until Sunday.

The new badminton tournament structure requires players to compete in more events

World number one Viktor Axelsen, Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei and China's Lin Dan have expressed concerns about a new badminton tournament structure requiring players to compete in more events. The complaints emerged at the Malaysia Masters in Kuala Lumpur, which has been upgraded this year by governing body the Badminton World Federation (BWF) as it looks to raise the sport's profile and ramp up revenues. The new tour series -- featuring six levels and higher prize money -- kicks off this year and runs until 2021. At least a million dollars is up for grabs in each of its top four events. But it also requires athletes to compete in more events -- the top 15 singles players and top 10 doubles pairings must take part in 12 a year, an additional two from the previous structure. The Malaysia Masters, which has seen its prize money almost triple to $350,000, attracted many more big names than it had in the past as players seek to fulfil the requirements. But some complained competing in so many events this year would be a burden, and a string of top players crashed out on the opening day Wednesday -- world number two Lee, five-time world champion Lin and Olympic champion Chen Long. Lee said he was prepared to pay a penalty to skip an event if he felt he needed to. "If I have to pay a fine for skipping an event, I will. I'm not 25 anymore, I'm 36 this year," said Lee Wednesday after losing to Japan's Kenta Nishimoto. "I don't think BWF will review the format, because if they wanted to, they would have done it." Denmark's Axelsen, who beat South Korea's Lee Hyun-Il in the opening round, was also critical: "We (would) rather have high quality than too many tournaments where the best players can't perform because we don't have time to train." Five-time world champion Lin, who was beaten by Indonesia's Ihsan Maulana Mustofa, added: "The top players will focus on the big tournaments... If we have to play in so many tournaments, we won't play our best." The BWF did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Malaysia Masters runs until Sunday.

Top badminton players concerned about new format

Struggling Swiss former winner Stan Wawrinka&#39;s Australian Open campaign is over after a convincing second round defeat by American Tennys Sandgren on Thursday.

The 97th-ranked Sandgren downed ninth seeded Wawrinka 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 and will next play Germany&#39;s Maximilian Marterer.

It has been tough so far this year for Wawrinka, who was playing in his first tournament since Wimbledon six months ago following left knee surgery.

&quot;Today was extremely tough to feel that way on the court, to lose that way, even if he was playing well,&quot; Wawrinka said.

&quot;When you have won three Grand Slams, you don&#39;t feel great on the court like today. But I need to be still positive. I think the last 12 days was more than what I could have dreamed for coming here.&quot;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis-federer-subdues-hard-hitting-struff-30000" target="_blank">Federer struts his stuff, then knuckles down to beat Germany&#39;s Struff</a>

&quot;I really came without thinking I will be able to play the first match. That&#39;s a big step for me.&quot;

&quot;I only had surgery five months and three days ago and to be that far already, it&#39;s more than what we could have expected with my team.&quot;

He was never in the contest and had his serve broken five times and made only 21 winners and 35 unforced errors.

The three-time Grand Slam winner, who defeated Rafael Nadal to win the 2014 Australian Open, has slipped to nine in the world rankings and faces a battle to climb higher after his early round exit.

He made the semi-finals at last year&#39;s Australian Open where he lost to eventual champion Roger Federer in five sets.

Wawrinka had a troubled lead-in to the year&#39;s opening Grand Slam, pulling out of an exhibition event in Abu Dhabi on his way to Australia.

He had not played a competitive match prior to his first round Open win over Lithuania&#39;s Ricardas Berankis, having only decided to take part last weekend.

&quot;My plan is to leave here and go back to practice, especially fitness-wise at the beginning,&quot; Wawrinka said of his future plans.

&quot;I know I have a lot of work to do. I need to be really patient. It&#39;s going to be tough. But I&#39;m ready for it.&quot;

He said his next tournaments would be Marseille and Rotterdam.

Sandgren&#39;s next opponent, world No.94 Marterer, reached the third round with a 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7/5), 3-6, 6-3 over Spanish veteran Fernando Verdasco.

&quot;This would definitely be (the biggest match),&quot; Sandgren said of his win over Wawrinka.

&quot;All the categories: biggest win, biggest moment of getting a victory, setting me up for the biggest stage to play third round of a Slam, biggest opportunity. All those good things.&quot;

 
&nbsp;

Wawrinka was playing in his first tournament since Wimbledon six months ago following left knee surgery

Struggling Swiss former winner Stan Wawrinka's Australian Open campaign is over after a convincing second round defeat by American Tennys Sandgren on Thursday. The 97th-ranked Sandgren downed ninth seeded Wawrinka 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 and will next play Germany's Maximilian Marterer. It has been tough so far this year for Wawrinka, who was playing in his first tournament since Wimbledon six months ago following left knee surgery. "Today was extremely tough to feel that way on the court, to lose that way, even if he was playing well," Wawrinka said. "When you have won three Grand Slams, you don't feel great on the court like today. But I need to be still positive. I think the last 12 days was more than what I could have dreamed for coming here." Also read: Federer struts his stuff, then knuckles down to beat Germany's Struff "I really came without thinking I will be able to play the first match. That's a big step for me." "I only had surgery five months and three days ago and to be that far already, it's more than what we could have expected with my team." He was never in the contest and had his serve broken five times and made only 21 winners and 35 unforced errors. The three-time Grand Slam winner, who defeated Rafael Nadal to win the 2014 Australian Open, has slipped to nine in the world rankings and faces a battle to climb higher after his early round exit. He made the semi-finals at last year's Australian Open where he lost to eventual champion Roger Federer in five sets. Wawrinka had a troubled lead-in to the year's opening Grand Slam, pulling out of an exhibition event in Abu Dhabi on his way to Australia. He had not played a competitive match prior to his first round Open win over Lithuania's Ricardas Berankis, having only decided to take part last weekend. "My plan is to leave here and go back to practice, especially fitness-wise at the beginning," Wawrinka said of his future plans. "I know I have a lot of work to do. I need to be really patient. It's going to be tough. But I'm ready for it." He said his next tournaments would be Marseille and Rotterdam. Sandgren's next opponent, world No.94 Marterer, reached the third round with a 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7/5), 3-6, 6-3 over Spanish veteran Fernando Verdasco. "This would definitely be (the biggest match)," Sandgren said of his win over Wawrinka. "All the categories: biggest win, biggest moment of getting a victory, setting me up for the biggest stage to play third round of a Slam, biggest opportunity. All those good things."

Australian Open: Struggling Wawrinka struggles some more, loses tennis game to Tennys Sandgren

Saina Nehwal slammed Badminton world federation (BWF) for the&nbsp;international&nbsp;calendar of the badminton tournaments.

Saina Nehwal said that the way the calendar has been made it hardly leaves any time for players to be at their best performance.

In the BWF&#39;s revamped calendar it is mandatory for world&#39;s top 15 players in the singles events and top 10 pairs in the double to play a minimum of 12 tournaments or they will have to face a penalty. 
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The scheduling of events is not done properly for next year. For the top players, it is going to be very challenging to choose tournament: Saina Nehwal <a href="https://t.co/G0kEcORDPB">pic.twitter.com/G0kEcORDPB</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/944082913083080704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
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There are so many tournaments including the few prestigious ones. Some tournaments are also mandatory to play. It is going to be very challenging for the players to pick and choose the events: Saina Nehwal
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/944082915520004096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Media reported Saina Nehwal as saying &quot;Next year&#39;s schedule by BWF is too cramped, it is not right for the top players. I need more time to get the best out of me. I can&#39;t play back-to-back events. I can just participate but can&#39;t win.&quot;

&quot;After the PBL we have three tournaments. Again before the World Championship, there are three super series, so I am not understanding why BWF decided to go for such a schedule. It will be too tiring, too challenging,&quot; Nehwal added.

Olympic champion and two-time world championship gold medalist Carolina Marin also said similar things

According to media reports, Marin also called new rule &quot;stupid.&quot;

&nbsp;

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In the BWF's revamped calendar it is mandatory for world's top 15 players in the singles events and top 10 pairs in the double to play a minimum of 12 tournaments or they will have to face a penalty

Saina Nehwal slammed Badminton world federation (BWF) for the international calendar of the badminton tournaments. Saina Nehwal said that the way the calendar has been made it hardly leaves any time for players to be at their best performance. In the BWF's revamped calendar it is mandatory for world's top 15 players in the singles events and top 10 pairs in the double to play a minimum of 12 tournaments or they will have to face a penalty. The scheduling of events is not done properly for next year. For the top players, it is going to be very challenging to choose tournament: Saina Nehwal pic.twitter.com/G0kEcORDPB — ANI (@ANI) December 22, 2017 × There are so many tournaments including the few prestigious ones. Some tournaments are also mandatory to play. It is going to be very challenging for the players to pick and choose the events: Saina Nehwal — ANI (@ANI) December 22, 2017 × Media reported Saina Nehwal as saying "Next year's schedule by BWF is too cramped, it is not right for the top players. I need more time to get the best out of me. I can't play back-to-back events. I can just participate but can't win." "After the PBL we have three tournaments. Again before the World Championship, there are three super series, so I am not understanding why BWF decided to go for such a schedule. It will be too tiring, too challenging," Nehwal added. Olympic champion and two-time world championship gold medalist Carolina Marin also said similar things According to media reports, Marin also called new rule "stupid."

Saina Nehwal upset over badminton federation event calendar

Olympians PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal will aim to continue their winning streak at the Hong Kong Open Super Series as a step on the court to play the second round of women&#39;s singles event here at Kowloon on Thursday.

Olympic silver medallist PV Sindhu will clash with Aya Ohori of Japan in the second round of women&#39;s singles after defeating local player YY Leung 21-18, 21-10.

In another match, ace shuttler Saina Nehwal who outwitted Mette Poulsen of Denmark 21-19, 23-21 in the first round of the championship will take on Chen Yufei of China.

In men&#39;s singles, HS Prannoy, the recently crowned national champion, is the flag-bearer of the Indian challenge in the event. Prannoy will face Kuzumasa Kakai of Japan in the second round after he dismantled Yun Hu of Hong Kong 19-21, 21-17, 21-15 in the previous match.

Earlier, Parupalli Kashyap bowed out losing to local player Le Dong Keun 21-15, 9-21, 20-22.

B Sai Praneeth also suffered a major blow as he crashed out of the series after going down 21-8, 21-16 to second-seed Son Wan Ho of Korea.

PV Sindhu will clash with Aya Ohori of Japan in the second round of women's singles after defeating local player YY Leung 21-18, 21-10 whereas Saina Nehwal who outwitted Mette Poulsen of Denmark 21-19, 23-21 in the first round of the championship will take on Chen Yufei of China

Olympians PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal will aim to continue their winning streak at the Hong Kong Open Super Series as a step on the court to play the second round of women's singles event here at Kowloon on Thursday. Olympic silver medallist PV Sindhu will clash with Aya Ohori of Japan in the second round of women's singles after defeating local player YY Leung 21-18, 21-10. In another match, ace shuttler Saina Nehwal who outwitted Mette Poulsen of Denmark 21-19, 23-21 in the first round of the championship will take on Chen Yufei of China. In men's singles, HS Prannoy, the recently crowned national champion, is the flag-bearer of the Indian challenge in the event. Prannoy will face Kuzumasa Kakai of Japan in the second round after he dismantled Yun Hu of Hong Kong 19-21, 21-17, 21-15 in the previous match. Earlier, Parupalli Kashyap bowed out losing to local player Le Dong Keun 21-15, 9-21, 20-22. B Sai Praneeth also suffered a major blow as he crashed out of the series after going down 21-8, 21-16 to second-seed Son Wan Ho of Korea.

Hong Kong Open: Nehwal, Sindhu aim to continue winning streak

Badminton legend Lin Dan saved seven match points before being dumped out of the first round of his home China Open on Wednesday, stunned by Indonesia&#39;s world number 17 Jonatan Christi. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

The 21-19, 21-16 defeat will ramp up speculation that the 34-year-old Lin, widely regarded as the best badminton player of all time, may soon call it quits as he approaches the end of his brilliant career.

Seeded third, Lin, a five-time China Open champion, was guilty of a catalog of errors in going down to Christie in 42 minutes in a shock upset in the Chinese city of Fuzhou.

The 20-year-old Christie plays Hong Kong&#39;s Angus Ng in the second round.

&quot;When we shook hands before the match I felt his hand was cold and I sensed he was nervous,&quot; Christie, who lost to Lin in straight games at their last meeting in June, told the official BWF World Superseries website.

&quot;I realised that even though he was a past World and Olympic champion, he could get nervous too, so that made me confident.&quot;

Christie added: &quot;One of the best days of my life, I beat Lin Dan at his home crowd.&quot;

But for a late rally by Lin, the result might have been even more embarrassing.

Christie had an astounding 11 match points, and even though Lin clawed back seven of them, the Chinese played a weak shot wide of the sideline to go tumbling out of the tournament.

Lin&#39;s great rival, the Malaysian Lee Chong Wei, had no such trouble in a 21-5, 21-7 demolition of Taiwan&#39;s Hsu Jen-hao.&nbsp;

Dan saved 7 match points before crashing out

Badminton legend Lin Dan saved seven match points before being dumped out of the first round of his home China Open on Wednesday, stunned by Indonesia's world number 17 Jonatan Christi. The 21-19, 21-16 defeat will ramp up speculation that the 34-year-old Lin, widely regarded as the best badminton player of all time, may soon call it quits as he approaches the end of his brilliant career. Seeded third, Lin, a five-time China Open champion, was guilty of a catalog of errors in going down to Christie in 42 minutes in a shock upset in the Chinese city of Fuzhou. The 20-year-old Christie plays Hong Kong's Angus Ng in the second round. "When we shook hands before the match I felt his hand was cold and I sensed he was nervous," Christie, who lost to Lin in straight games at their last meeting in June, told the official BWF World Superseries website. "I realised that even though he was a past World and Olympic champion, he could get nervous too, so that made me confident." Christie added: "One of the best days of my life, I beat Lin Dan at his home crowd." But for a late rally by Lin, the result might have been even more embarrassing. Christie had an astounding 11 match points, and even though Lin clawed back seven of them, the Chinese played a weak shot wide of the sideline to go tumbling out of the tournament. Lin's great rival, the Malaysian Lee Chong Wei, had no such trouble in a 21-5, 21-7 demolition of Taiwan's Hsu Jen-hao.

China Open: Lin Dan stunned in first round by world no. 17

Seasoned shuttler Ashwini Ponnappa is impressed with the progress made by India&#39;s doubles players on the Pro circuit but says they will take some time to develop into world beaters.

Of late, doubles players have produced some good results with new pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Sen entering the quarterfinals in Super Series tournaments in Korea and France and mixed combo of Pranaav Chopra and N Sikki Reddy reaching the semifinals at Japan Open.

&quot;I think doubles is on the right track. But it will take time. Doubles takes time,&quot; said Ashwini, who won two titles at the just-concluded Senior National Championship.

&quot;Doubles have to train together, have to see how two players combine, while as a single player doesn&#39;t have to go through so much change. But doubles are on right track, Chirag and Satwik are doing well, Pranaav and Sikki doing well. It gives confidence and motivates all the players,&quot; she added.

It was double delight for Ashwini yesterday as she won the mixed doubles title with Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and women&#39;s doubles trophy with N Sikki Reddy.

&quot;It feels good (to win). For a long time not all the top players were playing. This time we had all playing, so it was one of a kind Nationals. For me, it was special because I had never won a mixed doubles title before,&quot; Ashwini said.

&quot;I won women&#39;s doubles with Jwala (Gutta) in the past but I never had a mixed doubles partner, so it was a first for me and it really felt good especially because Sikki and Pranaav are more experienced than we are right now.

&quot;They are in good shape, they had some good results in last one year, so it was a confidence booster. It was a National which everyone wanted to win since all top players were there and it was nicely hosted,&quot; added Ashwini, who had bagged the women&#39;s title twice with Jwala in 2009 and 2013.

The 28-year-old from Bangalore is one of the most experienced doubles players in the country. She had won the 2011 World Championship bronze with Jwala and also bagged the Commonwealth Games gold and silver in the last two editions at New Delhi and Glasgow.

Ashwini is hoping to be third time lucky but reckoned it will be a challenge.

&quot;I definitely want to go and win a medal again next year at the Commonwealth Games. I think it will be a big challenge for everyone because all will be coming to win,&quot; she said.

&quot;Every tournament we play from now will be a practice to work on our game and get some good results before the Commonwealth Games. I hope our performance will be better than the past,&quot; Ashwini, who had earlier paired up with B Sumeeth Reddy and reached the finals at Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold in January, said.

Commonwealth Games will be held in Gold Coast, Australia from April 4 to 15 next year.&nbsp;

Seasoned shuttler Ashwini Ponnappa is impressed with the progress made by India's doubles players on the Pro circuit but says they will take some time to develop into world beaters.

Seasoned shuttler Ashwini Ponnappa is impressed with the progress made by India's doubles players on the Pro circuit but says they will take some time to develop into world beaters. Of late, doubles players have produced some good results with new pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Sen entering the quarterfinals in Super Series tournaments in Korea and France and mixed combo of Pranaav Chopra and N Sikki Reddy reaching the semifinals at Japan Open. "I think doubles is on the right track. But it will take time. Doubles takes time," said Ashwini, who won two titles at the just-concluded Senior National Championship. "Doubles have to train together, have to see how two players combine, while as a single player doesn't have to go through so much change. But doubles are on right track, Chirag and Satwik are doing well, Pranaav and Sikki doing well. It gives confidence and motivates all the players," she added. It was double delight for Ashwini yesterday as she won the mixed doubles title with Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and women's doubles trophy with N Sikki Reddy. "It feels good (to win). For a long time not all the top players were playing. This time we had all playing, so it was one of a kind Nationals. For me, it was special because I had never won a mixed doubles title before," Ashwini said. "I won women's doubles with Jwala (Gutta) in the past but I never had a mixed doubles partner, so it was a first for me and it really felt good especially because Sikki and Pranaav are more experienced than we are right now. "They are in good shape, they had some good results in last one year, so it was a confidence booster. It was a National which everyone wanted to win since all top players were there and it was nicely hosted," added Ashwini, who had bagged the women's title twice with Jwala in 2009 and 2013. The 28-year-old from Bangalore is one of the most experienced doubles players in the country. She had won the 2011 World Championship bronze with Jwala and also bagged the Commonwealth Games gold and silver in the last two editions at New Delhi and Glasgow. Ashwini is hoping to be third time lucky but reckoned it will be a challenge. "I definitely want to go and win a medal again next year at the Commonwealth Games. I think it will be a big challenge for everyone because all will be coming to win," she said. "Every tournament we play from now will be a practice to work on our game and get some good results before the Commonwealth Games. I hope our performance will be better than the past," Ashwini, who had earlier paired up with B Sumeeth Reddy and reached the finals at Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold in January, said. Commonwealth Games will be held in Gold Coast, Australia from April 4 to 15 next year.

Badminton: Doubles players will take time to become world beaters, says Ashwini Ponnappa

Former World No-1 Saina Nehwal beat Olympic silver medalist PV Sindhu to win the Badminton National Championship on Wednesday.

27-year-old Saina beat Sindhu in straight games 21-17 27-25 in a thrilling 54-minute duel.

&quot;I am surprised with the way I played today. I moved well and picked Sindhu&#39;s difficult shots,&quot; Saina said after beating Sindhu.

In the men&#39;s final, HS Prannoy surprised everyone after he beat Kidambi Srikanth 21-15, 16-21, 21-7 in a gruelling encounter.

27-year-old Saina beat Sindhu in straight games 21-17 27-25 in a thrilling 54-minute duel.

Former World No-1 Saina Nehwal beat Olympic silver medalist PV Sindhu to win the Badminton National Championship on Wednesday. 27-year-old Saina beat Sindhu in straight games 21-17 27-25 in a thrilling 54-minute duel. "I am surprised with the way I played today. I moved well and picked Sindhu's difficult shots," Saina said after beating Sindhu. In the men's final, HS Prannoy surprised everyone after he beat Kidambi Srikanth 21-15, 16-21, 21-7 in a gruelling encounter.

Saina beats Sindhu to clinch national championships

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