PV Sindhu's Paris Olympics 2024 dreams shatter; says ‘could have been different...’

India's quest for a medal witnessed another setback after ace shuttler PV Sindhu failed to win her third Olympic medal in the women's singles Round of 16 at the Olympics. Her defeat at Paris 2024 marks the first time that Sindhu failed to bag a medal at the Games.

Sindhu lost against sixth-seeded Chinese shuttler He Bing Jiao in straight sets 19-21, 14-21. After the match, the shuttler reflected that “it didn't go the right way” for her, and the first match could have been different.

Winning the first set would have given her confidence, said PV Sindhu after the game. “The first game could have been a bit different. Especially, I feel at 19-all, it was anybody's game. I challenged it. It would have been good if it was in my favour, but it was on the line, and it was 20-19 in her favour,” said the shuttler, reported ANI.

While the first set had given Jiao a lead in the beginning, Sindhu caught up quickly and brought it to 19-19. The 20th point was the game-changer as the shuttlecock landed on the line, causing Jiao to eventually seal the game.

“But I think in the second game, it was good in the beginning, and then she took the lead,” said PV Sindhu. The shuttler concluded that “overall, it was a sad day,” and asserted that she must keep her head high.

P V Sindhu's defeat was not the only loss

At the Paris Olympics, P V Sindhu's loss wasn't the only major upset for India. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, the World number three ranked duo, also lost in the quarters of Men’s Doubles badminton at the Paris Olympics.

Although Satwiksairaj and Chirag started on a dominating note, they exited the games after a 21-13, 14-21, 16-21 loss.