Saji Chacko
For most badminton players, the BWF World Championships represent the ultimate test of skill, temperament and consistency. For PV Sindhu, however, the tournament has always meant something more. For the record the BWF World Championships get underway in Delhi from August 17 to 24.
There is a special connection between Sindhu and the World Championships. Across her career, she has won five medals at the event, a remarkable achievement that underlines her extraordinary consistency at the highest level. More importantly, the World Championships have often brought out a different version of Sindhu — more aggressive, more determined and seemingly better equipped to handle the enormous pressure of a major global tournament.
Her first World Championships medal came in 2013, when she won bronze. She repeated that achievement in 2014, becoming the first Indian woman to win medals at two successive editions of the championships. Those performances announced that a teenager from Hyderabad was ready to challenge the established stars of world badminton.
But Sindhu was not satisfied with merely collecting medals. Her defining moment came in 2017, when she reached the final. The match against Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara became one of the most memorable contests in badminton history. It lasted 110 minutes and featured extraordinary rallies, with both players refusing to surrender. Sindhu eventually lost, but her performance elevated her status on the world stage.
Two years later, she went one step further.
Virtually unstoppable
At the 2019 World Championships in Basel, Sindhu was virtually unstoppable. She moved through the tournament with authority before defeating familiar rival Nozomi Okuhara in the final. This time there was no heartbreak. Sindhu won in straight games to become the first Indian to win the women’s singles world title.
That triumph remains the jewel in her World Championships record. It also reflected one of the defining characteristics of Sindhu’s career: her ability to peak when the stakes are highest.
Her record at the championships has been remarkable not simply because of the number of medals, but because of the quality of her performances. The World Championships require players to survive several rounds against the world’s best. Sindhu’s long reach, powerful attacking game and ability to play long rallies have made her particularly effective on this stage.
PSYCHOLOGICAL ELEMENT
There is also a psychological element to her success. Sindhu has always appeared to relish the importance of the World Championships. The occasion seems to bring out her competitive instincts. While she has won major titles elsewhere — including Olympic medals and victories on the BWF World Tour — the World Championships have remained a tournament where she has consistently delivered.
Her five-medal haul is therefore more than a statistic. It represents a decade of excellence at one of badminton’s most demanding events. It tells the story of a player who has repeatedly returned to the same stage and found herself among the medal contenders.
That is why Sindhu’s relationship with the World Championships feels different. It is not merely about five medals. It is about a tournament that has repeatedly brought out her best, shaped her legacy and given Indian badminton some of its most memorable moments.
Headline: Her Milestones
2019: Became the first Indian to win the World Championships gold.
2017: Won silver after reaching her first World Championships final.
2018: Successfully defended her silver medal, reaching the final again.
2013: Won bronze, becoming one of India’s leading global badminton players.
2014: Won another bronze, establishing her consistency at the Worlds.
