Kidambi Srikanth became the second Indian male shuttler to reach the singles quarter-finals in an edition of Olympics in 2016, pushing legendary shuttler Lin Dan to the brim.
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The 2016 summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil was looked forward to with great enthusiasm by the Indian sporting eco-system. 117 athletes (63 men and 54 women) participated in the edition across 15 sports. This marked the nation’s largest-ever delegation sent to the Olympics, with spirits at an all-time high following the historic comeback of the women’s field hockey squad. The squad was going to make an appearance in the premier event after 36 years. India further recorded its Olympic debut in golf and women’s artistic gymnastics.
The nation recorded a tally of two medals overall, with only female athletes winning the laurels for the first time ever. Shuttler PV Sindhu clinched a silver in the women’s singles with a bronze to freestyle wrestler Sakshi Malik in the women’s 58 kg category. The former became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic silver medal. She further recorded the unique distinction of being one of the two Indian badminton players ever to win a medal in the premier event. While the edition is definitely noteworthy with female athletes taking charge when the nation demanded a hero, the event further witnessed a spirited performance from a male debutant.
The player being mentioned is none other than Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth. Srikanth was competing solely in the Men’s singles event, resulting in a lot of pressure on the player. A single defeat would have spelt the end of the tournament, rather than enjoying a second opportunity to make amends.
The 28-year-old was among the 13 players seeded into different groups. Kidambi who was slotted into Group H, found himself competing against Swedish Henri Hurskainen and Mexico’s Lino Munoz. Both the opponents were well capable of making their presence felt on the day, which coupled with the nervousness of a maiden appearance in the Olympics, could have been a recipe for disaster.
However, Srikanth did not look nervous at any stage, pulling off comfortable wins against the duo. The opener against Munoz saw him record a 21-11, 21-17 triumph. This was followed by a 21-6, 21-18 win against his Swedish opponent.
An unbeaten run in the group stage saw him qualify for the knockouts. The stakes were going to be higher from this stage onwards, with a single defeat capable of spelling the end of the campaign. Srikanth’s first opponent in the Round of 16 stage was Danish star Jan Ostergaard Jorgensen.
Jorgensen had become the first European male singles player to win the Indonesia Open in 2014, before reaching the final of the All England Super Series in 2015. Taking on an experienced and prolific campaigner like him would certainly have been a stern challenge. However, Srikanth remained cool and kept his nerves intact, pulling off a tense 19-21, 19-21 triumph. This win was a statement of intent from the Indian who showcased his potential and capabilities to the world. While his physical strength was certainly visible from the powerful shots and thunderous counters, the mental side of things was further gloriously visible. Kidambi did not appear tensed even when on the backfoot, maintaining a positive surge for supremacy.
The triumph against Jorgensen saw the Indian shuttler being slotted against veteran Chinese Lin Dan. Dan was ranked third in the world rankings going into the contest. He was further a two-time Olympic Champion, five-time World Champion with a reputation of being supremely difficult to beat in the Olympics. Dan was the only man to successfully defend an Olympic gold medal, with the motivation of a sensational hat-trick of medals on the cards. However, Srikanth had defeated the Chinese shuttler in the 2014 China Open which would certainly have been a massive source of motivation, considering how rare it was.
Just one win would have gifted the Indian a shot at the bronze, along with the honour of having recorded the biggest upset in badminton in the 2016 Rio Olympics. However, the first game was a brutal reminder of the quality of the opponent, having been thrashed 21-6 in 16 minutes. The second game was going to be a true test of character. Srikanth could either tamely surrender or give the Chinese a comeback to remember for the ages. The Indian showcased the latter on the big stage, responding with a 11-21 result. The shuttler was wrong-footed on numerous instances in the second game, with rallies bossed to the core. Srikanth had an answer for every move, with the audience cheering him on.
The confidence reflected even in the decider as the Indian led 11-8 and then 12-9. A thrilling win was on the cards with the game ready to be wrapped up. However, Dan made a comeback when it mattered the most sealing a 21-18 win, bringing all his experience to the fore having been pushed to the brim. The shuttler patted Srikanth on the back before departing, in a mark of respect.
“I gave my best in that match. I played my heart out. But my opponent was that five percent better than me. That match gave me an understanding I didn’t have before. It changed me. I lost a quarterfinal at one of the biggest stages. Nothing I have ever played comes close to that match,” said Srikanth about the encounter as quoted by ESPN.
The Indian became only the second male shuttler from the nation, to reach the singles quarter-finals in an edition of the Olympics. Srikanth’s heroics will certainly provide some quality motivation to the only men’s singles representative B. Sai Praneeth, who will be making his maiden appearance in the Tokyo Olympics.
