Sensational Sindhu tames China's Bing Jiao to secure second successive Olympic medal
Tokyo, Aug 1: Reigning world champion P V Sindhu on Sunday became only the second Indian and the country's first woman to win two Olympic medals, securing a bronze after a straight-game win over world no.9 He Bing Jiao of China in the badminton women's singles third-place play-off here.
Sindhu, who has returned with medals from each of the big-ticket events such as the Commonwealth and Asian Games and the BWF World Tour Finals in the last five years, outwitted eighth seed Bing Jiao 21-13 21-15 to add a bronze to the silver that she had secured at the 2016 Rio Games.
Wrestler Sushil Kumar is the first and only other Indian to win two Olympic medals, following up his bronze at 2008 Beijing with a silver at the 2012 London edition.
Up against an opponent, who had beaten her nine times so far in the last 15 meetings, Sindhu showed great determination to outplay Bing Jiao with her aggression to scoop India's third medal at Tokyo.
Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu has already gone back after collecting a silver, while boxer Lovlina Borgohain is assured of at least a bronze so far.
Sindhu showed great fortitude as she recovered from her painful semifinal loss to world no.1 Tai Tzu Ying and produced an aggressive show at the Musashino Forest Plaza on Sunday.
Sindhu galloped to a 4-0 lead early on but Bing Jiao started to engage her in rallies and waited for her to make errors.
The rallies started getting intense as Bing Jiao set up the points with her angled returns and flat pushes to claw back at 5-5.
The Chinese didn't give Sindhu pace to play her power game but the Indian soon worked her way around even as her opponent committed a few unforced errors.
Sindhu ended another superb rally with a cross court smash and entered the interval with another down the line hit at 11-8.
The Indian stepped up the pace after the break to gather three more points and looked in total control to pocket the opening game when her opponent went wide.
After change of ends, Sindhu continued her aggressive game, egged on by coach Park Tae-Sang from the sidelines, to lead 4-1 with a cross court return.
Bing Jiao tried to change the momentum but Sindhu rode on her attacking half smashes and slices to keep her nose ahead at the interval with a three point advantage.
Bing Jiao erased the deficit quickly before a precise smash on the line helped Sindhu wrest back control. She soon restored the three point advantage with another cross court drop.
The Indian didn't let the advantage slip and grabbed five match points with another of trademark smash and when Bing Jiao went wide, she held her head in disbelief before letting out a cry of victory.
Earlier, men's singles player B Sai Praneeth and the men's doubles pair of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy had failed to qualify for the knockout stage.
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J-K MP Mehdi criticises CM Omar Abdullah for failing to 'condemn' Khamenei's assassination
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Srinagar (PTI): National Conference MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi on Monday criticised Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for failing to "condemn" the assassination of Iranian Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Mehdi said if Abdullah cannot find the courage to condemn the assassination of Khamenei, his words of concern for the situation in the Gulf country have no value for the people who followed and respected the Supreme leader of Iran.
"While going through Tweets and statements, I found that he is "concerned" and falls short of condemnation, let alone a word of tribute," Mehdi said in a post on X without naming the chief minister.
The Lok Sabha member from Srinagar constituency, who is in an estranged relationship with the ruling National Conference, said if Abdullah does not have the courage to condemn the act of aggression against a sovereign nation, he should keep his concern to himself.
"If you cannot find the courage to condemn an act of aggression against a sovereign nation and assassination of a highly respected religious figure who is widely followed by your electorate and fellow citizens, because the people in power in the centre you are trying to cosy up to will get upset- Keep your "concern" with yourself," Mehdi added.
The chief minister on Sunday said he was deeply concerned about the unfolding developments in Iran, including the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
"I appeal to all communities to remain calm, uphold peace, and avoid any actions that could lead to tension or unrest," he posted on X.
National Conference issued a statement attributed to party president Farooq Abdullah in which he condemned the killing of Khamenei in joint strikes by the US and Israel.
"(Farooq) Abdullah has strongly denounced the act, describing it as a tragic and destabilising development with serious implications for peace and stability in the region," the National Conference said in the statement.
While going through Tweets and statements I found that he is “concerned” and falls short of condemnation let alone a word of tribute.
— Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi (@RuhullahMehdi) March 1, 2026
If you cannot find courage to condemn an act of aggression against a sovereign nation and assassination of a highly respected religious figure…
