PV Sindhu scripted history on Sunday by securing a podium finish in the women’s singles badminton competition at the Tokyo Olympics 2020. The reigning world champion romped past He Bingjiao of China in the third-place play-off match at the Musashino Forest Plaza in Tokyo. Sindhu’s convincing win has paved the way for the reigning world champion to secure the historic bronze medal at the 2020 edition of the Summer Games.

Sindhu registered an impressive straight game win in the bronze medal match at the Tokyo Games 2020 to clinch her second Olympic medal. For the record, Sindhu has become the first Indian shuttler to bag two medals at the Olympics. Sindhu thrashed the eighth seed 21-13, 21-15 to secure the podium finish in the women’s singles event at the Tokyo Olympics 2020. 

Before Sindhu, wrestler Sushil Kumar had won two back-to-back Olympic medals when the star grappler clinched bronze at the 2008 Beijing Games and silver at the London Olympics 2012. After a devastating defeat at the hands of World No.1 Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei in the semi-finals of the women’s singles event, Sindhu made early inroads in her bronze medal match against China’s Bing Jiao to secure her second successive Olympic medal. 

The 26-year-old managed to draw a 4-0 lead early in Game 1 against the Chinese superstar. Sindhu claimed the first game with a 21-13 margin before the star shuttler completed her straight-game triumph in Game 2. Sindhu’s 21-15 win over World No.9 in Game 2 of the bronze medal match confirmed India’s second medal at the Tokyo Games 2020. 

In her glittering badminton career, Sindhu has five World Championship medals to her name which includes a historic gold. Sindhu has won two medals in back-to-back Asian Games appearances. Sindhu had clinched a historic silver at the Rio Games in 2016. Besides her two Olympic medals, Sindhu has also bagged two medals at the Commonwealth Games.