19 August,2016 09:08 PM IST | | mid-day online correspondent
PV Sindhu's gallant attempt to win the gold for India ended in heartbreak as she went down fighting to Spain's Carolina Marin in the women's singles badminton event at Rio Olympics
PV Sindhu fought hard, but still had to settle for silver at the Rio Olympics after being beaten in three games 21-19, 12-21, 15-21 by World No.1 Carolina Marin in the badminton women's singles event at Rio de Janeiro on Friday.
The star shuttler became the first Indian woman to win a silver medal in badminton in the Olympics.
The 5ft10in lanky girl from Hyderabad won the first game, but then couldn't overcome the Spanish shuttler.
PV Sindhu is the youngest Indian Olympic medallist. Pic/AFP
Marin, who was celebrating almost point won by shrieking, grabbed the second 21-12 before clinching gold with a 21-15 win in the decider.
The 21-year-old Indian crumbled under the relentless pressure created by Marin in the pulsating final that lasted for an hour and 23 minutes at the Riocentre.
Sindhu thus became the fourth Indian to win a silver at the Olympics after shooters Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore (2004, Athens) and Vijay Kumar (2012, London) and wrestler Sushil Kumar (2012, London).
The two-time World championship bronze medallist also became the fifth woman player from India to win a medal in Olympics and the first to clinch a silver.
Weightlifter Karnam Malleshwari (2000, Sydney), boxer MC Mary Kom (2012, London), shuttler Saina Nehwal (2012, London) and wrestler Sakshi Malik (Rio, 2016) are the other women players from India to have won a medal in Olympics.
