Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Thursday
Rio Olympic silver medallist P V Sindhu jumped two places to achieve her career-best ranking of seven, while Saina Nehwal was also back in the top 10, in the latest BWF World Ranking.
Former Olympic and World champion Taufik Hidayat feels that the emergence of the talented PV Sindhu will not only reduce the burden of expectations on Saina Nehwal but also make India a force to reckon with in women's singles category.
India's PV Sindhu outclassed World No. 2 Akane Yamaguchi in straight games to storm into the final of the World Championships in Nanjing
India's ace shuttler PV Sindhu was conferred with the Padma Shri award by President Pranab Mukherjee.
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has helped raise 71 lakh through donations from its state affiliates and National Sports Federations (NSF) as contribution towards the country's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The IOA will transfer the donations to Prime Minister Cares Fund, the statement added.
Sindhu, who had finished runner-up at the last edition in Dubai, dished out a superb game, mixing with patience with aggression, to edging the Japanese 24-22, 21-15.
PV Sindhu, Depika Padukone ensured Indian representation on the global front.
Despite a huge fire in the parking lot of the Aero India show at the Yelahanka Air Force station, huge crowds gathered to see mean machines take to the skies. Here are the best moments from the day.
India's ace shuttler Parupalli Kashyap, who recently triumphed in the Syed Modi International India Grand Prix, made a leap of six places to reach a career-best ranking of 14th in the Badminton World Federation (BWF) rankings released on Thursday.
Ace Indian shuttler Parupalli Kashyap clinched his maiden Grand Prix title after a thrilling three-set win over Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk of Thailand in the men's singles summit clash in the $120,000 Syed Modi Indian GP Gold tournament.
Indian badminton national coach Pullela Gopichand feels PV Sindhu can do much better in terms of her defensive ability as she faces world number three Nozomi Okuhara in the Olympic semi-finals on Thursday.
India's star shuttler Parupalli Kashyap and teen sensation PV Sindhu stormed into the final of the men's and women's singles respectively in the $120,000 Syed Modi Indian Grand Prix Gold tournament in Lucknow on Saturday.
Rising shuttler PV Sindhu breezed into the quarter-finals of the women's singles while the reigning National champion Sayali Gokhale saw her campaign fall apart as Indian shuttlers endured a mixed day in the Syed Modi International India Open Grand Prix Gold in Lucknow on Thursday.
Top seed P V Sindhu advanced to the second round of the Malaysia Grand Prix Gold badminton tournament after recording a win over Singapore's Chena Jiayuan.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee will ring the customary Eden Bell
Pullela Gopichand hoped that one of the three prodigal talents he has shaped will end the 18-year-old title drought at the event this year.
World no 10 men's doubles pair of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, however, are expected to face a stiff challenge in the league stage.
The Indian contingent's schedule at the Rio Olympics for Saturday.
London Olympics bronze medallist Saina Nehwal sailed into the second round of Malaysia Open after a straight games victory over Singapore's Gu Juan in the women's singles, in Kuala Lumpur, on Wednesday. However, India's rising star PV Sindhu went down fighting to higher-ranked Tine Baun of Denmark in the first round.
Double Olympic medallist P V Sindhu stayed on course for an elusive gold medal, while Laskhya Sen entered his maiden final at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham on Sunday.
Former All England champion Prakash Padukone tipped PV Sindhu to be the world number one in the near future, but Saina Nehwal's coach Vimal Kumar was of the view that both the Olympic medallists could dominate world badminton in the next 5-7 years. While Saina became the first Indian shuttler to win an Olympic medal - a bronze - at 2012 London Olympics, Sindhu did one better by winning a historic silver at the Rio Games this year. "Definitely, Sindhu is capable of reaching the number one place," Padukone told reporters at the Olympic Gold Quest workshop for junior athletes in Bengaluru.
P V Sindhu and Lakshya Sen sailed into the second round but it was curtains for Saina Nehwal and Kidambi Srikanth on a mixed day for India at the French Open Super 750 badminton tournament in Paris on Wednesday.
P V Sindhu, on Tuesday, suffered an injury scare but there is no immediate threat to her participation in the Commonwealth Games starting next month.
The opening ceremony will be held on April 4.
While the top names in badminton haven't openly discussed mental health and wellbeing issues in the way that gymnast Simone Biles and tennis player Naomi Osaka have done of late, Olympic expectations nonetheless weigh heavily on some.
Sindhu had resumed training last month under the supervision of Korean coach Park Tae-Sang after the Sports Authority of India
India's top shuttlers PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal, on Wednesday, suffered shocking first-round exits from the Malaysia Open Super Series in Kuching.
India's PV Sindhu scripted history by becoming the first Indian shuttler to reach the final at the Olympics when she shocked Japan's Nozomi Okuhara in straight games in the women's singles at the Rio Games on Thursday.
Ace Indian shuttlers Saina Nehwal and HS Prannoy crashed out in the second round of the China Open Super Series after suffering straight game defeats in their respective events.
India's schedule on Day 9 of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, on Sunday.
This was Sindhu's second consecutive loss to Tzu Ying. Saina was no match for Carolina Marin, who took exactly half-an-hour to dispose of the Indian's challenge, beating her 8-21, 7-21.
Apart from Kohli, many cricketers and other sports personalities have also extended their congratulatory messages to PM Modi, who is now set to start his second term as PM.
Star shuttlers, including P V Sindhu, will chase individual gold medals but doubles would also under the spotlight as India would aim to retain the mixed team title and continue their consistent run at the Commonwealth Games.
H S Prannoy stunned World No 10 Kanta Tsuneyama while ace Indian women shuttlers PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal also sailed into the second round of the Malaysia Masters, in Kuala Lumpur, on Wednesday. World Championships bronze-medallist B Sai Praneeth and the seasoned Kidambi Srikanth, though, bowed out of the men's singles events.
This year PV Sindhu has reached the summit clash at India Open, the Commonwealth Games and the Thailand Open but failed to cross the final hurdle, prompting many critics to once again describe her as the 'perennial bridesmaid'.
P V Sindhu is hoping to become India's first-ever woman Olympic gold medallist across all sporting disciplines when she takes on World champion Carolina Marin of Spain in the final of women's singles badminton event at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, on Friday.
Despite the presence of world number four Saina Nehwal, India's women shuttlers were blanked 0-5 by China in the Uber Cup (Asia Zone), while the men's team went down 2-3 after a valiant fight against Indonesia in the Thomas Cup in Macau.
Pusarla Sindhu sent Indian fans into a frenzy by blasting through Japan's Nozomi Okuhara to reach the gold medal decider for the women's singles at the Olympic badminton on Thursday.
Shuttler PV Sindhu raised serious hopes of breaking India's long-awaited medal quest in the Rio Olympics by storming into the semifinals of the women's singles event with a stunning straight games win over London Games silver medallist Wang Yihan of China.
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