CWG 2022: PV Sindhu brushes aside Li challenge, Lakshya Sen downs Yong to win gold medals

PV Sindhu finally added that one medal that was missing from an otherwise glittering collection, when she clinched the CWG women's singles gold, downing Canada's Michelle Li in straight games in a 48-minute affair.

In fact, she had made it clear after the Indian mixed team's loss in the final to Malaysia. "The women's singles gold from CWG is missing, I need to get that… need to get that off my list," she said, as if there was a bucket list she had jotted down and was ticking them off one by one. Lakshya Sen continued to serve notice of his burgeoning promise with a hard-fought, digging-deep-in-the-reserves win over Malaysia's Ng Tze Yong in the men's section. It was a sensational comeback by the Indian after he lost the first game narrowly 19-21. He then raised the level of his game in the next two, winning 21-9, 21-16 to secure his maiden Commonwealth Games gold medal.

Lakshya isn't a really tall guy, standing perhaps around five-foot-nine. His innate athleticism, however, makes him jump higher than what a normal shuttler his height would do. His smashes usually come from a height of around seven feet and more. Add to that, improved fitness levels. Sen would up the ante by a few notches, especially when he sees his opponent tiring. Sen has made this a habit of sorts. First making the pulse of his fans go at a rate of knots, reach a crescendo, and then give the ultimate high of a win. Monday was no different. Sen brought out his powerful smashes at opportune moments, and largely had the better of the long rallies in the final two sets. Yong, in fact, enjoyed a narrow lead in the second game, going up a point at 4-4. Sen, however, kept his composure in the following points and as soon as he went ahead at 9-8, there was