Mixed reactions
The real reason for top mixed doubles pair Chan Peng SoonGoh Liu Ying leaving the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) is anybody’s guess. Did they have a falling-out with the BAM? Maybe they received sponsorship offers they can’t refuse? Or is it simply because they feel competing independently is the way to move forward and take their game to a higher level? While the pair are keeping mum about their reasons for quitting, the BAM see it as a win-win situation for both the association and the players.
PETALING JAYA: It took India’s P.V. Sindhu six times to finally get her hands on gold this year.
The 23-year-old nailed her first title when she defeated Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara 21-19, 21-17 for the women’s singles crown at the World Tour Finals in Guangzhou, China yesterday.
Sindhu, the 2016 Rio Olympics silver medallist, made it to five finals at the Indian Open, Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, Thailand Open, World Championships in Nanjing and Indonesia Asian Games previously but won none of them.
The win saw her make amends after losing to Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi in the now-defunct Superseries Finals in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, last year.
The victory also made Sindhu the first Indian shutttler to emerge champion in the season-ending event since its inception in 2008.
The men’s singles crown went to Shi Yuqi, who avenged his previous defeat to world No. 1 Kento Momota of Japan by triumphing 21-12, 21-11 in the rematch of the World Championships final.
It marked Yuqi’s biggest win to date after his All England victory in March.