PV Sindhu eyes historic sixth World Championships medal in Delhi

Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu will chase an unprecedented sixth World Championships medal when the BWF World Championships begin in New Delhi on Monday. The siasat.com and the hindustantimes.com report the 31-year-old, who has won two bronze, two silver and a gold at the event, needs only a semifinal appearance to make history as the first player to win six medals. Only China's Lin Dan and Zhao Yunlei have won five medals each.

Sindhu enters the tournament high on confidence after winning the Japan Open Super 750 in August, her first title in nearly two years. "The Japan Open gave me confidence ahead of the World Championships. I am very excited and looking forward to getting a lot of support from the Indian crowd," she said at a pre-event press conference on Sunday, as per the siasat.com. The hindustantimes.com adds she faces a tough draw that could see her face third seed Wang Zhi Yi in the pre-quarterfinals and top seed An Se-young in the semifinals. "I won't deny that there is no pressure. There is pressure, but for me, there's nothing to lose," Sindhu said.

The sports.ndtv.com and the siasat.com note the World Championships are returning to India after 17 years. Sindhu praised the venue upgrades undertaken by the Badminton Association of India and the government, saying arrangements are "really good." India's men's doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, two-time bronze medallists, also begin their campaign with a first-round bye, but the hindustantimes.com reports concern remains over Satwik's recurring shoulder problem.