PV Sindhu laments 'unfair' call by umpires at BAC, says 'I could have played the final'

India's ace badminton star PV Sindhu lamented the 'unfair' umpiring call after she exited the Badminton Asia Championship 2022 semifinal, after her loss to Akane Yamaguchi. Sindhu was seen arguing with the officials, after a controversial point penalty, which has caused a massive stir. 

Reflecting on the same after the match, two-time Olympic medalist Sindhu went on to state that she could have gone on play in the final, if not for the controversial decision, which left her in tears, and derailed her dream of winning the gold at the BAC. 

Leading 14-11 in the second game after having won the first game, Sindhu was handed a point penalty for taking too much time to serve between points.

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The 26-year-old from Hyderabad lost her momentum after that incident, losing 21-13 19-21 16-21 to eventually sign off with a bronze medal, her second in the continental individual championship.

PV Sindhu didn't hold back in her post-match interaction. "Totally unfair on the umpire's part," she says for asking her to hand over the serve to Akane Yamaguchi at 14-11 for apparent delay. #BAC2022

Badminton Asia Instagram #BAC2022 pic.twitter.com/DKUUusL2s3

— Vinayakk (@vinayakkm) April 30, 2022

 "The umpire told me you're taking a lot of time but the opponent wasn't ready at that point. But the umpire suddenly gave her the point and it was really unfair. I think that was one of the reasons why I lost," said Sindhu after the match on Saturday.

"I mean that is my feeling because at that moment it was 14-11 and could have become 15-11 but instead, it became 14-12 and she took continuous points. And I think it was very unfair. Maybe I would have won the match and played in the final," added the badminton ace. 

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Furthermore, there was a lot of speculation regarding Sindhu not having accepted the bronze medal after she skipped the medal ceremony, but she tweeted a picture with the medal to put an end to the rumours. 

Nice umpiring! #BAC2022 pic.twitter.com/3EgLS4kW7n

— Sammy (@Sammy58328) April 30, 2022

Moreover, her father PV Ramanna clarified that the 26-year-old had to take an early flight, which is why she had sought formal written permission from the authorities. 

"Nothing like that, she accepted the medal, it is just that she had to rush for a flight back home, so she took permission from the authorities," he said.

Next up, India's premier shuttler will be seen in action at the Uber Cup, scheduled to be held between May 8-15. 

With inputs from PTI