Mahindra Scorpio TOISA: PV Sindhu wins Badminton Player of the Year Award

MUMBAI: The darling of Indian badminton and 2016 Rio Olympics silver medalist PV Sindhu was on Monday declared the Badminton Player of the Year at the Mahindra Scorpio Times of India Awards in Mumbai, which was graced by the legendary Olympic gymnast Nadia Comaneci. This is Sindhu's second TOISA award following her winning the coveted prize for badminton in 2015. The TOISA, which reward the best of Indian sport in 2016 and celebrate the future and golden past of the country's athletes, were pushed back a few months on account of the Rio Olympics. At the quadrennial Games, Sindhu won the biggest prize in the history of Indian badminton - an Olympic silver, to go past Saina Nehwal' s bronze five years ago in London. Indeed, 2016 was a landmark year for Sindhu. Following the surprise exit of former World No 1 Saina to 61st ranked Maria Ulitina in her second match in Rio, it had fallen upon Sindhu to carry the hopes of Indian badminton at the Olympics. In her first Olympics, the 21-year-old entered the pre-quarters with a grueling 72-minute win over Canada's Michelle Li 21-19, 21-15, setting up a very tough match against the London Olympics silver medalist Yihan Wang of China. In the end, she beat Yihan - seven years older than her - 22-20, 21-19 to become the second Indian after Saina to reach the last four at the Olympics. She then beat Japan's Nozomi Okuhara in straight sets 21-19, 21-10 in 51 minutes to become the first Indian in an Olympics badminton final. On the biggest day of her career, Sindhu faced the world No 2 Carolina Marin and never stopped fighting until the Spanish champion won gold. And yet it did not feel like Sindhu had lost, for in her hands was an Olympic silver medal. Also in 2016, Sindhu claimed her first China Open Super Series and the Malaysia Masters, apart from finishing second at the Hong Kong Super Series.