Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has honoured badminton player Lakshya Sen for his achievement at the BWF World Championships, 2021 held in Spain.

Handing over a cheque for Rs 15 lakh to the 20-year-old shuttler on Sunday, Dhami said by winning a medal at the international event, Sen had brought laurels to the country and the state.

IN PICS:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/pv-sindhu-to-kidambi-srikanth-indians-who-have-won-medals-at-bwf-world-championships-438485">PV Sindhu to Kidambi Srikanth: Indians who have won medals at BWF World Championships</a>

Sen, who won a bronze medal at the championship, belongs to Almora district in Uttarakhand.

The chief minister also honoured the his parents and wished that Sen wins a gold medal at the next world badminton championships.

He also spoke about the state government's new sports policy that aims at giving more opportunities to budding sportspersons to hone their skills.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/not-satisfied-with-world-championships-bronze-next-time-i-will-go-for-the-gold-lakshya-sen-438530">Not satisfied with world championships bronze, next time I will go for the gold: Lakshya Sen</a>

A sports university is being established in the state, besides a women's sports college in Udham Singh Nagar district, Dhami said.&nbsp;

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has honoured badminton player Lakshya Sen for his achievement at the BWF World Championships, 2021 held in Spain. Handing over a cheque for Rs 15 lakh to the 20-year-old shuttler on Sunday, Dhami said by winning a medal at the international event, Sen had brought laurels to the country and the state.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has honoured badminton player Lakshya Sen for his achievement at the BWF World Championships, 2021 held in Spain. Handing over a cheque for Rs 15 lakh to the 20-year-old shuttler on Sunday, Dhami said by winning a medal at the international event, Sen had brought laurels to the country and the state. IN PICS: PV Sindhu to Kidambi Srikanth: Indians who have won medals at BWF World Championships Sen, who won a bronze medal at the championship, belongs to Almora district in Uttarakhand. The chief minister also honoured the his parents and wished that Sen wins a gold medal at the next world badminton championships. He also spoke about the state government's new sports policy that aims at giving more opportunities to budding sportspersons to hone their skills. ALSO READ: Not satisfied with world championships bronze, next time I will go for the gold: Lakshya Sen A sports university is being established in the state, besides a women's sports college in Udham Singh Nagar district, Dhami said.

Uttrakhand CM rewards shuttler Lakshya Sen for BWF World Championships heroics

Kidambi Srikanth created history at the Badminton World Championships, becoming the first Indian male shuttler to win a Silver medal at the prestigious event. The former World No.1 spoke To Wion Sports Editor Digvijay Singh Deo on his run to the final and return to the spotlight.

Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth scripts history after his Silver medal win at World Championships

Consistency, assurance, and her never-say-die the bucket mentality have effectively been seen by everybody in sports. Her ascent to the highest levels of the game has been sensational, as she has moved to focus in a brief time frame. To catch her very own position in a brief time frame, within the sight of a set-up headliner like Saina Nehwal, has been an excellent accomplishment for P.V. Sindhu.&nbsp;

The fantasy about turning into a badminton player for the nation was consistent with her from the earliest starting point of her life.&nbsp;Her desire and goal were spotted by her previous mentors and generally saw her creating a major match-player.&nbsp;

Before long she joined the Pallule Gopichand's academy, she was brought into the spotlight by the nation's previous star shuttlers and gave her a reasonable stage to perform and deal with the better parts of her game. She was consistently in the great books of her mentors. She earnestly acknowledged the mix-ups in her game and revised it immediately. Her energy to perform very much drove her to learn new methods and train harder than previously.&nbsp;

The greatest part of her profession so far has been that regardless of whether she has not won matches, she has done as well as she possibly can at everything and kept on prevailing upon the admiration of individuals all over the globe.

With an uplifting outlook, forceful soul, and extraordinary artfulness in play, a genuine hero has arisen out of Rio, who looks all set to prearrange some magnificent sections in occasions to come. Her siphoning of the clench hand, addressing herself, articulating her thoughts on the court; everything that was inseparable from PV Sindhu at Rio, showed a viewpoint never found in Indian Olympians.&nbsp;

She was severe in completing games and hoped to obliterate rivals, things that prior used to happen to Indian competitors, however, PV Sindhu turned the tables. Venturing into her 26th year today, PV Sindhu has uniquely been the torchbearer of Indian badminton throughout the most recent years.&nbsp;

Rio Olympics 2016: The apex of PV Sindhu's profession likewise turned into the zenith of Indian badminton history. With a silver award execution at that Rio Olympics, her exceptional ability rose to new fame. She may have fallen at the penultimate obstacle, yet her runner-up finish was one better than India's best in the occasion in its 116-year Olympic history.&nbsp;

India Open 2017: PV Sindhu retaliated for her mishap at the Rio Olympics by crushing Marin in straight matches to dominate her first India Open 2017 Superseries title. Marin, however, was not by any means the only enormous name to tumble before Sindhu at the competition. Sindhu crushed 2012 London Olympics bronze medalist Saina Nehwal in the quarter-finals, then, at that point, she crushed world number 2 Sung Ji Hyun in the semi-finals on the way to her title win.

PV Sindhu's ride to the semi-final was smooth, with her improving Laura Sarosi, Tai Tzu-Ying, Wang Yihan in transit to the semi-final to set up a date with a long-lasting opponent Nozomi Okuhara. One move back from a medal, she pulled off a thrilling execution to down the Japanese with scores of 21-19, 21-10.&nbsp;

Going into the 2021 Tokyo Games, she is a significant award competitor, as she additionally made several years prior by laying hands on the World Championship title in Basel.&nbsp;

This is the sort of development she has created over the most recent couple of years and to believe, she's just 26! Her future is extremely, brilliant and this looks good for a great period for India in Badminton. We, Indians, once more place trust in you Pusarla Venkata Sindhu. Wishing you a Happy Birthday and all the absolute best for the forthcoming Tokyo Olympics.

Consistency, assurance, and her never-say-die the bucket mentality have effectively been seen by everybody in sports. Her ascent to the highest levels of the game has been sensational, as she has moved to focus in a brief time frame.

Consistency, assurance, and her never-say-die the bucket mentality have effectively been seen by everybody in sports. Her ascent to the highest levels of the game has been sensational, as she has moved to focus in a brief time frame. To catch her very own position in a brief time frame, within the sight of a set-up headliner like Saina Nehwal, has been an excellent accomplishment for P.V. Sindhu. The fantasy about turning into a badminton player for the nation was consistent with her from the earliest starting point of her life. Her desire and goal were spotted by her previous mentors and generally saw her creating a major match-player. Before long she joined the Pallule Gopichand's academy, she was brought into the spotlight by the nation's previous star shuttlers and gave her a reasonable stage to perform and deal with the better parts of her game. She was consistently in the great books of her mentors. She earnestly acknowledged the mix-ups in her game and revised it immediately. Her energy to perform very much drove her to learn new methods and train harder than previously. The greatest part of her profession so far has been that regardless of whether she has not won matches, she has done as well as she possibly can at everything and kept on prevailing upon the admiration of individuals all over the globe. With an uplifting outlook, forceful soul, and extraordinary artfulness in play, a genuine hero has arisen out of Rio, who looks all set to prearrange some magnificent sections in occasions to come. Her siphoning of the clench hand, addressing herself, articulating her thoughts on the court; everything that was inseparable from PV Sindhu at Rio, showed a viewpoint never found in Indian Olympians. She was severe in completing games and hoped to obliterate rivals, things that prior used to happen to Indian competitors, however, PV Sindhu turned the tables. Venturing into her 26th year today, PV Sindhu has uniquely been the torchbearer of Indian badminton throughout the most recent years. Rio Olympics 2016: The apex of PV Sindhu's profession likewise turned into the zenith of Indian badminton history. With a silver award execution at that Rio Olympics, her exceptional ability rose to new fame. She may have fallen at the penultimate obstacle, yet her runner-up finish was one better than India's best in the occasion in its 116-year Olympic history. India Open 2017: PV Sindhu retaliated for her mishap at the Rio Olympics by crushing Marin in straight matches to dominate her first India Open 2017 Superseries title. Marin, however, was not by any means the only enormous name to tumble before Sindhu at the competition. Sindhu crushed 2012 London Olympics bronze medalist Saina Nehwal in the quarter-finals, then, at that point, she crushed world number 2 Sung Ji Hyun in the semi-finals on the way to her title win. PV Sindhu's ride to the semi-final was smooth, with her improving Laura Sarosi, Tai Tzu-Ying, Wang Yihan in transit to the semi-final to set up a date with a long-lasting opponent Nozomi Okuhara. One move back from a medal, she pulled off a thrilling execution to down the Japanese with scores of 21-19, 21-10. Going into the 2021 Tokyo Games, she is a significant award competitor, as she additionally made several years prior by laying hands on the World Championship title in Basel. This is the sort of development she has created over the most recent couple of years and to believe, she's just 26! Her future is extremely, brilliant and this looks good for a great period for India in Badminton. We, Indians, once more place trust in you Pusarla Venkata Sindhu. Wishing you a Happy Birthday and all the absolute best for the forthcoming Tokyo Olympics.

Happy Birthday, PV Sindhu: The ace shuttler

Cancer-hit badminton star Lee Chong Wei announced his retirement Thursday, ending a brilliant career in which he collected a swathe of honours but never won a world or Olympic title.

"My decision to retire is a heavy one. I really love this sport. But it is a demanding sport. I thank all Malaysians for the past 19 years," a teary-eyed Lee, 36, told a news conference.&nbsp;

Lee, a father of two, was diagnosed with early-stage nose cancer last year and after intensive treatment in Taiwan, said he was keen to play again.

But he hasn't trained since April and after missing a series of self-imposed deadlines to return to competition, his hopes of being eligible for next year's Tokyo Olympics were remote.

The three-time Olympic silver medallist said he would now like to rest and spend time with his family, and even take his wife on a "honeymoon", a trip that has been delayed since their marriage in 2012.

Cancer-hit badminton star Lee Chong Wei announced his retirement Thursday, ending a brilliant career in which he collected a swathe of honours but never won a world or Olympic title.

Cancer-hit badminton star Lee Chong Wei announced his retirement Thursday, ending a brilliant career in which he collected a swathe of honours but never won a world or Olympic title. "My decision to retire is a heavy one. I really love this sport. But it is a demanding sport. I thank all Malaysians for the past 19 years," a teary-eyed Lee, 36, told a news conference. Lee, a father of two, was diagnosed with early-stage nose cancer last year and after intensive treatment in Taiwan, said he was keen to play again. But he hasn't trained since April and after missing a series of self-imposed deadlines to return to competition, his hopes of being eligible for next year's Tokyo Olympics were remote. The three-time Olympic silver medallist said he would now like to rest and spend time with his family, and even take his wife on a "honeymoon", a trip that has been delayed since their marriage in 2012.

Badminton star Lee Chong Wei retires after cancer battle

Star Indian shuttler PV Sindhu crashed out of the Denmark Open with a stunning opening-round loss to American Beiwen Zhang in the women's singles event, here on Tuesday.

Third seed Sindhu lost 17-21 21-16 18-21 to Zhang in a hard-fought opening encounter that lasted 56 minutes.&nbsp;

This is the third consecutive time that Sindhu has lost to Zhang. The American shuttler defeated Sindhu in the Indian Open final in February earlier this year.

Rio Olympics silver-medallist Sindhu is going through a difficult phase after winning the silver medal in the Jakarta Asian Games.

She was knocked out in the second round of the Japan Open after a straight-game loss to Gao Fangjie.

The script played out similarly in the China Open, where the 23-year-old suffered a 11-21 21-11 15-21 loss to world no 6 Chen Yufei of China in the quarterfinals.&nbsp;

Star Indian shuttler PV Sindhu crashed out of the Denmark Open with a stunning opening-round loss to American Beiwen Zhang in the women's singles event, here on Tuesday.

Star Indian shuttler PV Sindhu crashed out of the Denmark Open with a stunning opening-round loss to American Beiwen Zhang in the women's singles event, here on Tuesday. Third seed Sindhu lost 17-21 21-16 18-21 to Zhang in a hard-fought opening encounter that lasted 56 minutes. This is the third consecutive time that Sindhu has lost to Zhang. The American shuttler defeated Sindhu in the Indian Open final in February earlier this year. Rio Olympics silver-medallist Sindhu is going through a difficult phase after winning the silver medal in the Jakarta Asian Games. She was knocked out in the second round of the Japan Open after a straight-game loss to Gao Fangjie. The script played out similarly in the China Open, where the 23-year-old suffered a 11-21 21-11 15-21 loss to world no 6 Chen Yufei of China in the quarterfinals.

Denmark Open: PV Sindhu makes shock exit in first round

India's B.Sai Praneeth defeated Indonesia's Maulana Panji Ahmad in straight games in a one-sided men's singles clash at the Australian Open badminton tournament on Thursday.

The second-seeded Indian took just 32 minutes to register a comfortable 21-12, 21-14 victory against his unseeded opponent from Indonesia.

This was the second win on the trot for Praneeth in this tournament.

In another men's singles match on the day, India's Sameer Verma defeated Takuma Ueda of Japan in straight games.

The fourth-seeded Indian beat the unseeded Japanese 21-16, 21-12 in 37 minutes.

Praneeth defeated Indonesia's Maulana Panji Ahmad in straight games

India's B.Sai Praneeth defeated Indonesia's Maulana Panji Ahmad in straight games in a one-sided men's singles clash at the Australian Open badminton tournament on Thursday. The second-seeded Indian took just 32 minutes to register a comfortable 21-12, 21-14 victory against his unseeded opponent from Indonesia. This was the second win on the trot for Praneeth in this tournament. In another men's singles match on the day, India's Sameer Verma defeated Takuma Ueda of Japan in straight games. The fourth-seeded Indian beat the unseeded Japanese 21-16, 21-12 in 37 minutes.

Shuttler Sai Praneeth wins at Australian Open

Indian badminton player B. Sai Praneeth defeated Israel's Misha Zilberman in straight games in the opening round of the Australian Open badminton tournament on Wednesday.

The second-seeded Indian took only 45 minutes to chalk out a 21-17, 21-14 verdict over Zilberman.

Praneeth will meet Maulana Panji Ahmad of Indonesia in the next round on Thursday.

Praneeth faced resistance from his opponent in the early stages of the first game before opening up a five-point lead at 8-3.

The Israeli fought back to gradually reduce the gap to 14-16. But the Indian won four points on the trot to snatch away the momentum before closing out the game.

The second game also saw a tough contest in the opening stages before the Indian started to enjoy the upper hand.

Just like the opening game, Misha once again reduced the gap to 14-16 before Praneeth won five consecutive points to win the game and the match.

The second-seeded Indian took only 45 minutes to chalk out a 21-17, 21-14 verdict over Zilberman

Indian badminton player B. Sai Praneeth defeated Israel's Misha Zilberman in straight games in the opening round of the Australian Open badminton tournament on Wednesday. The second-seeded Indian took only 45 minutes to chalk out a 21-17, 21-14 verdict over Zilberman. Praneeth will meet Maulana Panji Ahmad of Indonesia in the next round on Thursday. Praneeth faced resistance from his opponent in the early stages of the first game before opening up a five-point lead at 8-3. The Israeli fought back to gradually reduce the gap to 14-16. But the Indian won four points on the trot to snatch away the momentum before closing out the game. The second game also saw a tough contest in the opening stages before the Indian started to enjoy the upper hand. Just like the opening game, Misha once again reduced the gap to 14-16 before Praneeth won five consecutive points to win the game and the match.

Shuttler Sai Praneeth advances at Australian Open

Indian shuttler HS Prannoy lost to England's Rajiv Ouseph in the men's singles bronze medal match at the 21st Commonwealth Games on Saturday.

The World No. 11 had a great start as he won the first game 21-17 at the Carrara Sports Arena.

However, Rajiv made a brilliant comeback in the next two games to beat Prannoy 25-23, 21-9 in an hour-long marathon match.

World No 1 Kidambi Srikanth had earlier set up a date with World No 7 Lee Chong Wei in the summit clash of men's singles badminton competition at the Commonwealth Games.&nbsp

He had registered a comfortable win over England's Rajiv Ouseph in the semi-final on Saturday.

While Srikanth registered an easy 21-10, 21-17 straight games victory over Ouseph, Malaysia's Lee Chong overcame Prannoy 21-16, 9-21, 21-14 in the other semi-final.

The World No. 11 had a great start as he won the first game 21-17 at the Carrara Sports Arena

Indian shuttler HS Prannoy lost to England's Rajiv Ouseph in the men's singles bronze medal match at the 21st Commonwealth Games on Saturday. The World No. 11 had a great start as he won the first game 21-17 at the Carrara Sports Arena. However, Rajiv made a brilliant comeback in the next two games to beat Prannoy 25-23, 21-9 in an hour-long marathon match. World No 1 Kidambi Srikanth had earlier set up a date with World No 7 Lee Chong Wei in the summit clash of men's singles badminton competition at the Commonwealth Games. He had registered a comfortable win over England's Rajiv Ouseph in the semi-final on Saturday. While Srikanth registered an easy 21-10, 21-17 straight games victory over Ouseph, Malaysia's Lee Chong overcame Prannoy 21-16, 9-21, 21-14 in the other semi-final.

CWG 2018: Shuttler Prannoy loses in men's singles bronze medal match

Rio Olympics silver medallist PV Sindhu will be Indian contingent&rsquo;s flag-bearer at the opening ceremony of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, according to IOA sources.

The 22-year old ace Indian shuttler was picked ahead of the likes of Mary Kom and Saina Nehwal due to a better colour of the medal at the Olympics and her recent performances.

Sindhu, who reached the semi-finals of the All England championships last week, was picked by the IOA as the flag-bearer after a meeting on Friday evening.

The 22-year-old is one of the country&rsquo;s biggest medal hopes at the CWG and would look to improve on her bronze medal performance in the women&rsquo;s singles at the Glasgow CWG in 2014.

This would be the first time in the last three editions of the Commonwealth Games that a badminton player would don the flag-bearer&rsquo;s hat.

At the 2006 Melbourne CWG, Athens Olympics silver medallist shooter Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, who is presently the Union Sports Minister, was the Indian contingent&rsquo;s flag-bearer at the opening ceremony.

At the 2010 Delhi CWG, it was Beijing Olympics gold medallist Abhinav Bindra who carried forward the legacy at the march past.

At the 2014 Glasgow CWG, London Olympics silver medallist shooter Vijay Kumar was handed the responsibility of flag-bearer. 
&nbsp;

She was picked ahead of the likes of Mary Kom and Saina Nehwal

Rio Olympics silver medallist PV Sindhu will be Indian contingent’s flag-bearer at the opening ceremony of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, according to IOA sources. The 22-year old ace Indian shuttler was picked ahead of the likes of Mary Kom and Saina Nehwal due to a better colour of the medal at the Olympics and her recent performances. Sindhu, who reached the semi-finals of the All England championships last week, was picked by the IOA as the flag-bearer after a meeting on Friday evening. The 22-year-old is one of the country’s biggest medal hopes at the CWG and would look to improve on her bronze medal performance in the women’s singles at the Glasgow CWG in 2014. This would be the first time in the last three editions of the Commonwealth Games that a badminton player would don the flag-bearer’s hat. At the 2006 Melbourne CWG, Athens Olympics silver medallist shooter Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, who is presently the Union Sports Minister, was the Indian contingent’s flag-bearer at the opening ceremony. At the 2010 Delhi CWG, it was Beijing Olympics gold medallist Abhinav Bindra who carried forward the legacy at the march past. At the 2014 Glasgow CWG, London Olympics silver medallist shooter Vijay Kumar was handed the responsibility of flag-bearer.

Shuttler PV Sindhu to be India's flag-bearer at CWG opening ceremony

Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal, one of the country&#39;s strongest medal hope, kicked off her campaign at the Rio Olympics on a winning note as she brushed aside Brazil&#39;s Lohaynny Vicente in straight games in the opening match of the women&#39;s singles event on Wednesday. 
 
Saina, the bronze medallist at the 2012 London Olympics, produced an imperious form throughout the match to register an emphatic 21-17, 21-17 win over her Brazilian compatriot in the one-sided contest that lasted for 39 minutes at Riocentro- Pavilion. 
 
The 26-year-old will play her next Group G match against Ukraine&#39;s&nbsp;Ulitina Maria. 
 
Earlier today, PV Sindhu, the other shuttler in fray, also made a great start to her badminton campaign by thrashing Hungary&#39;s Laura Sarosi 21-8, 21-9 in her opening round. 
 
Meanwhile, the Indian women&#39;s double pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa had lost 15-21, 10-21 to top-ranked Japanese pair of Ayaka Takahashi and Misaki Matsumoto in a match which lasted 36 minutes in their Group A opener. 
 
In the men&#39;s doubles competition, Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy also suffered a 18-21, 13-21 defeat at the hands of World Number 2 Indonesian pair of Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan in their first match. 
 
(ANI) 
&nbsp;

Saina produced an imperious form throughout the match to register an emphatic 21-17, 21-17 win over Brazil's Lohaynny Vicente

Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal, one of the country's strongest medal hope, kicked off her campaign at the Rio Olympics on a winning note as she brushed aside Brazil's Lohaynny Vicente in straight games in the opening match of the women's singles event on Wednesday. Saina, the bronze medallist at the 2012 London Olympics, produced an imperious form throughout the match to register an emphatic 21-17, 21-17 win over her Brazilian compatriot in the one-sided contest that lasted for 39 minutes at Riocentro- Pavilion. The 26-year-old will play her next Group G match against Ukraine's Ulitina Maria. Earlier today, PV Sindhu, the other shuttler in fray, also made a great start to her badminton campaign by thrashing Hungary's Laura Sarosi 21-8, 21-9 in her opening round. Meanwhile, the Indian women's double pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa had lost 15-21, 10-21 to top-ranked Japanese pair of Ayaka Takahashi and Misaki Matsumoto in a match which lasted 36 minutes in their Group A opener. In the men's doubles competition, Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy also suffered a 18-21, 13-21 defeat at the hands of World Number 2 Indonesian pair of Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan in their first match. (ANI)

Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal gets off to winning start in Rio Olympics

Indian badminton player Saina Nehwal is better equipped to win a medal in Rio in August than she was when she claimed a bronze at the London Olympics four years ago, according to former All England champion Prakash Padukone. 
 
Hopes that the former world number one can turn bronze into a first Olympic gold medal in the sport for her country were raised when Nehwal won the 2016 Australian Superseries title. 
 
Rio will mark a third Olympics for Nehwal, who beat former world champions Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand and Wang Yihan before overpowering China&#39;s Sun Yu in the final in Sydney. 
 
&quot;Saina has a lot more variety now,&quot; former men&#39;s world number one Padukone said in an interview. &quot;I think she plays a lot more at the net now. Earlier her game was more or less predictable. She had a few strokes, she used to keep playing them and there were not many variations. Now she has developed a lot more strokes, specially at the net. She is much more confident and that has made a big difference.&quot; 
 
The victory in Australia came at just the right time for Nehwal, who had failed to reach a World Superseries final since last November in China, and was returning from an Achilles injury she sustained at the end of last year. 
 
Padukone, who won the All England title in 1980 long before badminton was admitted to the Olympics in 1992, said the 26-year-old&#39;s game just needed a bit of tweaking. 
 
&quot;Tactically she can do a little bit more. Maybe a plan A and plan B, which I&#39;m sure she already has,&quot; said Padukone. &quot;Maybe if something doesn&#39;t work, then she has to have a different plan. It&#39;s just the question of a little bit of polishing. She definitely has everything otherwise she wouldn&#39;t have been where she is.&quot; 
 
China has long been the dominant force in the sport, sweeping all five titles at London four years ago, but their shuttlers no longer top the world rankings heading to Rio. While Malaysian Lee Chong Wei tops the men&#39;s singles rankings, Carolina Marin of Spain leads the women&#39;s list with Nehwal in sixth place. 
 
World Badminton has also limited each nation to two singles entrants in each event, down from the three at London and previous Games. Padukone feels that makes a Chinese sweep of badminton gold in Rio less likely. 
 
&quot;They are no longer the dominating force going by the results we have seen in the last 12 to 24 months,&quot; Padukone said. &quot;Earlier when the draw used to come, everybody used to hope there are no Chinese. That&#39;s no longer the case, that fear is not there anymore. That&#39;s good for the game. For the Indians, though they wouldn&#39;t say it, but it used to be a mind-block.&quot; 
 
India&#39;s best chance of medals will come in the women&#39;s singles, Padukone said, where as well as Nehwal they have PV Sindhu ranked 10th in the world. 
 
Padukone said the most important thing for the Indian shuttlers was to peak during the Rio Games. 
 
&quot;When you go there it doesn&#39;t matter if in the last two months you have beaten all the top players and you have been the world number one,&quot; Padukone said. &quot;It&#39;s important that you reach the peak and play your best during that particular week. That&#39;s what will count ultimately and will be the key.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Padukone, who won the All England title in 1980, said the 26-year-old's game just needed a bit of tweaking

Indian badminton player Saina Nehwal is better equipped to win a medal in Rio in August than she was when she claimed a bronze at the London Olympics four years ago, according to former All England champion Prakash Padukone. Hopes that the former world number one can turn bronze into a first Olympic gold medal in the sport for her country were raised when Nehwal won the 2016 Australian Superseries title. Rio will mark a third Olympics for Nehwal, who beat former world champions Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand and Wang Yihan before overpowering China's Sun Yu in the final in Sydney. "Saina has a lot more variety now," former men's world number one Padukone said in an interview. "I think she plays a lot more at the net now. Earlier her game was more or less predictable. She had a few strokes, she used to keep playing them and there were not many variations. Now she has developed a lot more strokes, specially at the net. She is much more confident and that has made a big difference." The victory in Australia came at just the right time for Nehwal, who had failed to reach a World Superseries final since last November in China, and was returning from an Achilles injury she sustained at the end of last year. Padukone, who won the All England title in 1980 long before badminton was admitted to the Olympics in 1992, said the 26-year-old's game just needed a bit of tweaking. "Tactically she can do a little bit more. Maybe a plan A and plan B, which I'm sure she already has," said Padukone. "Maybe if something doesn't work, then she has to have a different plan. It's just the question of a little bit of polishing. She definitely has everything otherwise she wouldn't have been where she is." China has long been the dominant force in the sport, sweeping all five titles at London four years ago, but their shuttlers no longer top the world rankings heading to Rio. While Malaysian Lee Chong Wei tops the men's singles rankings, Carolina Marin of Spain leads the women's list with Nehwal in sixth place. World Badminton has also limited each nation to two singles entrants in each event, down from the three at London and previous Games. Padukone feels that makes a Chinese sweep of badminton gold in Rio less likely. "They are no longer the dominating force going by the results we have seen in the last 12 to 24 months," Padukone said. "Earlier when the draw used to come, everybody used to hope there are no Chinese. That's no longer the case, that fear is not there anymore. That's good for the game. For the Indians, though they wouldn't say it, but it used to be a mind-block." India's best chance of medals will come in the women's singles, Padukone said, where as well as Nehwal they have PV Sindhu ranked 10th in the world. Padukone said the most important thing for the Indian shuttlers was to peak during the Rio Games. "When you go there it doesn't matter if in the last two months you have beaten all the top players and you have been the world number one," Padukone said. "It's important that you reach the peak and play your best during that particular week. That's what will count ultimately and will be the key." (Reuters)

Former badminton great Padukone pins Olympic medal hopes on India's Saina Nehwal

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