Proud That PV Sindhu Gave It Her All In Rio Olympics: P Gopichand

PV Sindhu made history as she became the first Indian female Olympian to win silver in badminton at the 2016 Rio Olympics after she lost a tough encounter to Spain's Carolina Marin 21-19, 12-21, 15-21 in the final.
 
Sindhu gave a tough fight to the World No.1 badminton player but unforced errors, especially towards the end of the third game, gave Marin the advantage.
 
Speaking to NDTV after the end of the final, Sindhu's coach Pullela Gopichand said it was a very proud moment for him.

Gopichand admitted that the match could have gone either but said that he was proud of what Sindhu had achieved and she deserved to enjoy the moment.

"A couple of points shifted the momentum. However, hats off to Sindhu for giving it her all and putting up a fight in her maiden Olympics."

Gopichand said that more than the individual, what mattered most was that Indian badminton is doing well. In 2012 Olympics, his then student Saina Nehwal won a bronze medal.

"People will remember us as an Indian winning the medal. That for me is more important. It doesn't matter whether Gopi is there or Saina or Sindhu," he said.

At 10-10 in the final game, the match was evenly poised. Heading into the break, the match could have gone either way. However, some unforced errors from Sindhu changed momentum of the match.
 
"Sindhu lost a couple of points after the break and that changed the course of the match," Gopichand said.
 
Gopichand, who is the 2001 All-England Badminton Champion, has praised the effort and dedication that Sindhu put in during the games and also during the build-ups.

"The kind of work she has put in the last few months and the sacrifices she has put without any complaints is tremendous," said a proud Gopichand.

(With Inputs from Suprita Das)