The Indian sporting community was handed a shock on Saturday, August 13 evening when news broke out that star shuttler PV Sindhu will not be taking part in the upcoming BWF World Championships in Tokyo, Japan. Sindhu is one of the best sportspersons India has produced since the country’s Independence and it became evident once again when she won the gold medal in women’s singles at the recently concluded Commonwealth Games 2022.

Sindhu is known for her agility and technique on the court, which has helped her to win numerous medals in the national and international circuits. She is also the first Indian woman to win consecutive Olympics medals and her absence will hit the country’s medal hopes at the World Championships this year. Let’s find out why PV Sindhu will not participate in the upcoming BWF World Championships 2022.

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According to a report by Sportstar, the athlete’s father, PV Ramana, has confirmed that the Indian ace shuttler suffered a stress fracture on her left ankle at the Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham. She received the injury in the women’s singles quarterfinals match against Jin Wei Goh of Malaysia on August 6, which she won 2-1.

Sindhu also defeated Jia Min Yeo of Singapore and Michelle Li of Canada in the semifinal and final respectively before clinching the gold medal.

Following her return to India from Birmingham, the 27-year-old revealed that it was tough for her to continue to play in the final against Canadian shuttler Michelle Li as the stress fracture injury limited her abilities with pain.

“The pride to represent the country at such a bigger stage kept me motivated and inspired to bear all the pain,” she told Republic TV.

”But she played the semis despite severe pain before eventually going on to win the gold in the CWG with a heavily strapped ankle,” Sindhu’s father told.

PV Ramana also revealed that while injuries cannot be controlled, his daughter will now focus on rehabilitation and will target the Denmark and Paris Opens in October.

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“The focus will definitely be more on recovery, and we will be targeting the Denmark and Paris Opens in mid-October,” he quipped.

PV Sindhu has an impressive record in the BWF World Championships, winning five medals, including a gold. She defeated Nozomi Okuhara of Japan in the final of the 2019 edition to clinch the gold medal.

The BWF World Championships will begin on August 21 and will continue till August 28.