Kidambi Srikanth scripted his name in the country’s sports history by becoming the first Indian man to enter the finals of the BWF World Badminton Championships with as he beat compatriot Lakshya Sen in rollercoaster semi-final match at Huelva in Spain on Saturday.
The 28-year-old Srikanth defeated his younger rival and debutant Sen in an all-Indian semi-final 17-21 21-14 21-17. It was a tough contest that went on for over an hour.
Srikanth, a former world No. 1, currently ranked 14, will be the first Indian male player to fight for the coveted gold medal. He has bounced back from a string of injuries and a loss of form which saw him miss the Tokyo Olympics this year.
Sen has won a bronze medal at the prestigious event to join the ranks of India’s badminton greats Prakash Padukone (1983) and B Sai Praneeth (2019), the only other players to win a bronze at the world championship.
Among the women players, India's P V Sindhu has coveted gold medal in 2019 and has also won two silvers and two bronze medals at the event. Saina Nehwal also has a silver and a bronze to her name in the marquee event.
Besides, the women's doubles team of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa had won a bronze, in 2011.
