Even though badminton finds its roots in ancient India, the sport didn’t gain much prominence in earlier years. The reasons were plenty, but now the scene has been changing since the 2010s.
The Indian shuttler’s performance in the recent Summer Olympics has been the motivating factor behind the sport’s rise. Many of India’s best shuttlers made it to the Olympics, but only a couple of them returned with medals.
So who are the Indian badminton players to win medals in the Olympics?
Let’s look at the medal winners here.
1. Saina Nehwal
Medal: Bronze in 2012 London Olympics
Saina Nehwal’s maiden appearance came in 2008 in Beijing, China. She made it to the quarter-finals but couldn’t proceed further, ending her campaign then and there.
The legendary shuttler then qualified for the Olympics in 2016. Nehwal cruised through the first round, the round of 16, and the quarter-finals to make it to the semi-final.
She was just one match away from entering the final, but she lost the semi-final by 21-13, 21-13, against eventual silver medallist Wang Yihan. In the bronze medal match, Nehwal lost the first set 18-21, but her opponent, Wang Xin, retired in the second set.
That resulted in Nehwal winning the bronze and becoming the first Indian shuttler (men or women) to win a medal in the Summer Olympics.
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2. PV Sindhu
Medals: Silver in 2016 Rio Olympics and Bronze in 2020 Tokyo Olympics
Considered one of the most successful Indian shuttlers, PV Sindhu has been a force in world badminton for almost a decade now.
She made her Olympic debut in 2016 with all eyes on her as 2012 bronze medallist Nehwal bowed out early in the group stage. With a lot of expectations, Sindhu performed exceptionally well, entering the gold medal match with ease.
In the final game, the Hyderabad shuttler started well, winning the first set 21-19 against her rival Carolina Marin. But Marin outclassed her in the next two games, prompting Sindhu to settle on a silver in her maiden appearance.
The tall shuttler made her successive appearance in the Tokyo Games four years later. She was the only women’s singles player to feature in the 2020 Olympics.
Sindhu pinned down her opponents in the group stage before storming through the round of 16 and quarter-finals. She lost the semi-final against Tai Tzu Ying, moving into the bronze medal match.
Again, all hopes were on Sindhu, and she overcame He Bing Jiao to win her second medal in the Summer Olympics.
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