Source: NURPHOTO /Kabir Jhangiani
[Saba Sports News] Last week, former badminton women’s singles world number one Tai Tzu-Ying officially announced her retirement. Indian star Pusarla Venkata Sindhu, who battled fiercely with her on the court for years, also posted on Instagram, sincerely wishing “Little Tai” a happy retirement. Sindhu expressed in her post that for 15 years, Tai had always been the opponent who pushed her to her limit every time, and the two most important medals in her life were related to Tai. The 2016 Rio Olympic silver medal and the 2019 World Championship gold medal both came from those long, heart-stopping matches against Tai. In Rio, they met in the Round of 16; in Basel, it was the quarter-finals. Both times, they gave their all, presenting fans with thrilling match after thrilling match. Sindhu also recalled that Tai had defeated her in the Tokyo Olympic semi-finals and the Jakarta Asian Games gold medal match. Therefore, Sindhu directly stated that she hated playing against Tai the most, but also enjoyed competing against her, because after facing Tai, she grew into a different athlete. Beyond their rivalry, they also built a more sincere and meaningful bond. A quiet friendship carrying deep respect, and a connection that could only be understood by each other after years of fierce battles. Watching you leave feels like losing a part of myself on this journey. The badminton world will miss your magic, and so will I.