Asian Games 2018, PV Sindhu vs Tai Tzu Ying Highlights: PV Sindhu went down to Tai Tzu Ying. (Source: AP) Asian Games 2018, PV Sindhu vs Tai Tzu Ying Highlights: PV Sindhu went down to Tai Tzu Ying. (Source: AP) Asian Games 2018, Badminton Final Highlights: PV Sindhu’s attempt at creating gold medal history at the Asian Games was denied by Tai Tzu Ying who scripted history of her own. By beating Sindhu 21-13, 21-16, Tai became first shuttler to win gold for Chinese Taipei. However, PV Sindhu ensured India’s best-ever finish in badminton at the Asian Games and history for India with two medals in badminton alongside Saina Nehwal who won the bronze medal on Monday. The win extended Tai Tzu Ying’s head-to-head against PV Sindhu to 10-4.<doc-sep>No one knows that better than PV Sindhu. For the umpteenth time, she came all set to break a jinx and failed. It has happened once again as she has lost the Asian Games women’s singles final to Chinese Taipei’s Tai Tzu Ying There comes a time, when a silver medal instead of signifying a silver lining, actually starts resembling a dark cloud. It happens when silver medals start outnumbering gold ones. Silver can no longer console, it only adds to the questions and grief. Yet, one cannot show the pain that needs to stay locked inside. No one knows that better than PV Sindhu. For the umpteenth time, she came all set to break a jinx and failed. It has happened once again as she has lost the Asian Games women’s singles final to Chinese Taipei’s Tai Tzu Ying 13-21, 16-21. She was never in the match and both she and her coach, Pullela Gopichand, admitted it. No words were needed to articulate that. It was out in the open to see. Sindhu’s silver was the best an Indian badminton player had ever achieved at an Asian Games. But the colour of the medal was not the colour she or anyone else would have wanted. Since the 2016 Olympic Games, Sindhu has lost finals at Rio Olympics (2016), the final at World Championships in Glasgow (2017), the final at Dubai Super Series (2017), the final at Gold Coast Commonwealth Games (2018) and the final at World Championships in Nanjing (2018). Now, add the Asian Games final at Jakarta to that painful list. It would be best, if Sindhu does not see Wednesday’s papers and for that matter anything appearing in the media. She needs to erase this file, just as we do to a file that has gone rogue on a hard disk in the computer. At 23, she is young and has achieved unprecedented success. She has achieved numerous firsts in Indian badminton like the silver at the Asian Games in Jakarta. So, was her Olympic silver as was her first World Championships bronze or the first World Championship silver or the second silver. Then there was the Commonwealth Games final, where she lost to a lower ranked compatriot Saina Nehwal. Each of those performances was Gold Standard, but fetched her only silver and sometimes less. Too many silvers have raised too many questions — from nervousness to stage-fright to lack of mental strength. Each of these questions, in turn, raises nightmares and brings up that much-dreadful word “Choke”. Ivan Lendl and Ken Rosewall never won Wimbledon; Bjorn Borg never won the US Open. Colin Montgomerie and Lee Westwood never won a golf Major. Then there was Greg Norman, who in 1986 won 11 times, and held the 54-hole lead in each of the four Majors but won just one. In NBA basketball, it is possible to have a rewarding career without winning a NBA title, but to call it a day without the ‘winners’ ring adds an asterisk to the name. Charley Barkley and Karl Malone belong to that dubious list. Back in 1996 at the Atlanta Olympic Games, when Nike ran the campaign – ‘You don’t win silver, you lose gold’, there was criticism that the line contravened the spirit of the Olympics. It was withdrawn. There is another line, which I am not sure who said it first or why, but it brings out the harsh reality of life - “Second is the first in the long line of losers”. This, too, goes against the spirit of participation in sport. But few champions will dispute it. Till this afternoon, even World No 1 Tai Tzu Ying did not have a World Championships, Olympic or Asian Games gold, but she has the last one now. At the highest levels in sport, they all know that there is little to be chosen between any two competitors. Amicro-second; a centimeter, may be just a millimeter; or one crucial volley or a smash or a net cord. That’s all that separates winners from losers. The answers are not easy to find and the questions are too many. Seconds and silvers, too shine, but they can’t be the headline. History always consigns silvers to the footnotes. Sad, but true. Heartless, too.<doc-sep>Car for Dutee Chand HYDERABAD: Though disappointed with another loss in the final, PV Sindhu said that she is learning from her mistakes and is keen to comeback stronger. "That was not the last final I am played. I will play many more finals and though a loss in final is hurting I am trying to learn from them. I would discuss with Gopi sir about the mistakes and will work hard to overcome them. There are lot of other matches to prove yourself," Sindhu said adding that she will work more on her strokes. "I will keep working on different aspects of my games. It's not so easy and I need to work on every stroke," added Sindhu.Both Sindhu and Saina lost to world No.1 Tai Tzu Ying at the Asiad. While Saina bagged bronze, Sindhu settled for silver. The two top Indian shuttlers have been repeatedly losing to Tai.Chief coach Gopichand feels that Tai has a psychological advantage against the Indians. Queried if he is devising any strategies to beat Tai, Gopi said,"We have been doing that but since we have been playing too many tournaments to retain rankings and defending points we are not able to implement our plans perfectly. But our players are closing in on Tai, very soon we will find a way. Since she has been beating our players she has a psychological advantage on them. There are players like Ratchanok Intanon , who beat Tai often," Gopichand saidLauding Tai for the way she is dominating the game, Gopi said that Tai is a complete package with variety of strokes. "Very few can play the strokes like Tai. She is a complete package who is quick on her feet, very aggressive, smart and emotionally strong," Gopi added.Delighted to return home with a medal from Asiad, Saina said that she was much faster in Indonesia.Though she is not able to get past Tai, Saina easily outwits Ratchanok, who is one of the few players who dominates Tai. Ratchanok also defeated Tai at the team event in Indonesia. "I know Ratchanok's game and I am comfortable against her. This time I was much faster against Tai as well. There are a lot of positives from my defeat against Tai in the semis. But overall I am very happy to comeback with a medal. With this I have won medals at all major events," Saina said.The former world No.1 thinks that the Chinese shuttlers are not as best as they were before. "I think it will take another two years for the Chinese to become a force again. Their Wang era is the best it will be difficult to replicate that," Saina said.Dutee Chand, who won two silver in the 100 and 200 metre events at the Games, will be presented with a car by V Chamundeswaranath, vice-president of the Telangana Badminton Association. "I promised her a car if she win a medal," he said. For the last three years Dutee has been staying at the Academy and is being supported by Gopichand and Mytrah foundation.<doc-sep>
Last updated on .From the section Badminton PV Sindhu has won silver at the past two badminton World Championships PV Sindhu created history by becoming the first Indian badminton player to win a silver medal at the Asian Games. The Olympic silver medallist - who on Monday became the first Indian to reach an Asian Games singles final - lost 21-13 21-16 to Taiwanese world number one Tai Tzu Ying in Jakarta. It comes just days after Sindhu, 23, was named seventh on the Forbes list of highest-earning female athletes. Sindhu has now lost seven of her last eight major international finals. On Monday, Sindhu's compatriot Saina Nehwal won bronze to become the first Indian to win an individual badminton medal at the Asian Games in 36 years. In 1982, Syed Modi won men's singles bronze at the Games in New Delhi. The Forbes list found Sindhu's on-court winnings last year totalled $500,000 (£387,000) but endorsements saw her bring in an extra $8m (£6.2m) in sponsorship. 'She will continue to be a star' - analysis Vikas Pandey, BBC News, Delhi Sindhu was carrying the hopes of millions of Indians who desperately wanted her to win. It has been a welcome change to see cricket-crazy Indians glued to TV sets in shops and malls to watch badminton. One can arguably say that she has become as big a star as cricketers like Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni. And that is no small achievement because cricket is considered a religion in India and other sports find it hard to win popular support and sponsors. But Sindhu has changed the perception. People recognise her because she routinely appears on advertising billboards and TV commercials. Today's result may have disappointed people, but there is no doubt that she will continue to be a star in India. And that is likely to inspire children to pick up a badminton racquet to become next PV Sindhu.