PV Sindhu Wanted Me To Lose Focus, Says Badminton Gold Medallist Carolina Marin

Carolina Marin and PV Sindhu have fought some good battles in the last couple of years in badminton courts. Before the 2016 Rio Olympics final, in seven head-to-head meetings, the World No.1 held a slender 4-3 advantage.

In the final, Marin was facing an uphill battle after losing the first game 21-19 to Sindhu as the Indian shuttler played with aggression and confidence. However, the Spanish shuttler, known as "Rafa Nadal of badminton", came back strongly and won the next two games 21-12 and 21-15 to become the first European shuttler to win gold in the Olympics.

Speaking after the end of the match, Marin said, "I'm a little Spaniard that broke the Asian world. My dream has come true. I just had to believe in myself. I have the best team behind me, they helped me a lot and were amazing."

Sindhu Engaged In Mind Games

During the course of the match, Marin played with tremendous intensity and aggression. The Spaniard shrieked at the top of her voice after winning every point and was told off by the umpires several times. However, what drew the attention was the strategy to change shuttles.

Marin claimed that it was part of her strategy to keep the shuttles new and quick but Sindhu wanted to stick with the old shuttle. The Spaniard has claimed that Sindhu was indulging in some mind games.

"She didn't want to change the shuttle because she wanted me to lose focus. It was a little bit slow and sometimes you have to control everything on court. However, I was prepared because I knew it would happen. I didn't get really annoyed. It's all part of the game," Marin said.

With this win, Marin added the Olympic Gold medal, along with being the reigning world champion.