Srikanth Lost 15-21, 20-22 to Loh Kean Yew
Kidambi Srikanth won a silver medal in the World Badminton Championship after suffering a straight-game defeat to Loh Kean Yew to become the best Indian performer in the men’s singles here on Sunday.
Srikanth lost 15-21, 20-22 to the Malaysia- born opponent in 43 minutes.
Despite the loss, it is a huge moment not only for Indian badminton but also for world No. 14 Srikanth, who had endured injuries and a loss of form which saw him miss the Tokyo Olympics this year, The 28-year-old former world No.1 is the first Indian to play the men's singles final. Prakash Padukone in 1983 and Sai Praneeth in 2019 had lost in the semi-finals of the Worlds. After winning four Super Series titles in 2017, Srikanth's form nosedived and his performance in Huelva, Spain on Sunday came as a major landmark of his return.
The maiden silver also placed Srikanth alongside PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal, who had finished runner-up in the past.
Sindhu had won the coveted gold in 2019, two silver and two bronze, while Saina claimed the silver at the 2015 Jakarta and a bronze at 2017 Glasgow.
The Badminton Association of India tweeted, “@srikidambi became the 1st Indian Male shuttler to win a silver medal at the World Championships while Lakshay Sen became the third Male shuttler to grab the bronze medal.”
India has won a total of 12 medals at BWF World Champions, with the first medal coming in 1983.
India has won medals in the men's singles, women's singles and women's doubles categories.
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