SANDIP SIKDAR

final between World No.4 PV Sindhu and Nozomi Okuhara will be remembered for ages. Lasting an hour and 50 minutes, not only was it the second longest match in the history of women’s singles but was unquestionably one of the greatest badminton matches ever played. But sport is cruel and as they say, there is always a winner and a loser.

PV Sindhu is returning with a silver, her third medal from the world badminton championships after claiming bronzes in 2013 and 2014. For Okuhara, it was a historic gold, the first for Japan in 40 years.

Silver medallist in Rio 2016, Sindhu certainly deserves all the accolades for reaching the world championships final, being only the second Indian to do so after Saina Nehwal in 2015. But we need to think for a moment – what are we celebrating here?

When Sindhu ‘won’ the silver at Rio, it was a unique occasion – an Indian woman had claimed the metal for the first time at Olympics.

Given India’s poor returns from the world’s greatest event, it was worth celebrating. But how long will India celebrate being the second best?

A year on, 22-year-old Sindhu has emerged a stronger athlete, technically and mentally. Since Rio Olympics, she has won China Open, India Open and Syed Modi GP Gold titles.

But is that enough? This may sound harsh but the Glasgow loss was a failure. A big one.

A player of Sindhu’s potential