Indian shuttlers reach Hong Kong Open finals: Know all about PV Sindhu and Sameer Verma

PV Sindhu and Sameer Verma entered the finals of Hong Kong Open Super Series. While PV Sindhu defeated Hong Kong’s Cheung Ngan-yi 21-14, 21-16, Sameer Verma upset World No. 3 Jan O Jorgensen 21-19, 24-22.

This will be Sindhu’s third Super Series final in which she will meet Taiwan’s Tai Tzu Ying who defeated World number one and defending Hong Kong Open champion Carolina Marin 21-17, 14-21, 21-16. Sameer will take on Hong Kong’s NG Ka Long Angus on Sunday.

Let’s have a look at the career of both shuttlers:

PV Sindhu

Badminton star PV Sindhu had been in majestic form since winning the silver medal at the Rio Olympics. India’s badminton star and Olympic silver medallist PV Sindhu had also won China Open

At the 2016 Summer Olympics, she became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic silver medal. Making her first mark in 2013, she won her maiden grand prix gold at the Malaysian Open. At Macau Open, she won the first of her hat-trick of titles. The Arjuna award was a bigger reward.

Sindhu became the youngest recipient of the Padma Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian honour, in March 2015. After Olympic bronze medalist and No. 2 Saina Nehwal, Sindhu is the second-highest-ranked women’s singles player from India.

Read the past heroics of PV Sindhu: Part One, Part Two

Sameer Verma

He won silver at the Asian Junior Badminton Championships and the Commonwealth Youth Games in 2011. Verma’s best performance this year came at the Bitburger Open, where he made the semifinals, losing to eventual champion Yuqi Shi.

Verma is known for his wristy play at the net and has solid retrieval shills. However, he has a tendency to be erratic with his smashes and isn’t as powerful as some of the other Indian players.

His first international title came in 2013 when he won the men’s singles event at the Bahrain International Series.