India’s sporting icon PV Sindhu added a Commonwealth Singles gold to her wide array of medals with a convincing straight-game win over Canada’s Michelle Li in the final here on Monday. The world number seven from India outplayed her 13th ranked opponent 21-15 , 21-13 in front of a packed crowd at the NEC arena. The 30-year-old had to produce something special for her first win against Sindhu in eight years but the Indian did not give her a window. Sindhu was clinical in her short game and pounced on the slightest of attacking opportunities. Michelle had beaten the 2019 World Champion way back in the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014.
In the first game, Michelle was trying to get points by playing close to the net while Sindhu was the more attacking one. A smash on Li’s left made it 7-5 before the Canadian came with a drop shot on Sindhu’s right to make it 7-6. Meanwhile, World Championships bronze medallist Lakshya Sen made a brilliant comeback after losing the first game to beat Tze Yong Ng of Malaysia 2-1 in the final to clinch his maiden Men’s Singles title in the Commonwealth Games badminton competitions here on Monday. After losing the first game 19-21, the 20-year-old who is the highest ranked Indian in men’s singles, fought back to win the second 21-9 and then quelled Tze Yong Ng’s challenge in the third, 21-18 to register a memorable victory. Sen, in his maiden Commonwealth Games, added the gold to the silver he won in the Mixed Team competition. This was the first time that India claimed both the Men’s Singles and Women’s Singles titles in the same Commonwealth Games edition. He also became the fourth Indian after Prakash Padukone, Syed Modi, and Parupalli Kashyap to win the men’s singles title at the Commonwealth Games. This is India’s ninth gold medal in the Commonwealth Games in badminton following seven in individual and one in Mixed Team competition. Saina Nehwal is the only one to win two singles titles.