Srishti Bhattacharya, Delhi
Day 3 of the BWF World Championships started with an even smaller crowd than Day 2. The morning session was quiet, but Tanisha Crasto and Dhruv Kapila were still welcomed with applause and cheers.
The management was also more alert about the seating arrangements, while a group of schoolchildren were present at the venue. A Malaysian fan also caught attention with a creative costume made using several shuttlecocks.
A fan kept cheering for Victor Lai with “Let’s go Victor” chants throughout his match, while Malaysian fans also backed their players.
As the day progressed, the crowd slowly started increasing. Hariharan and Arjun received loud cheers, with “Let’s go India, let’s go” and “Bharat Mata ki Jai” chants echoing around the venue.
Unnati Hooda also received a warm welcome. “India, India” chants continued during her match and even after her second-round loss, the crowd responded with “Jeetega bhai jeetega, India jeetega”. She received a big round of applause and a standing ovation after the match.
The atmosphere changed completely once Lakshya Sen’s name was announced. “Lakshya Sen, Lakshya Sen” and “Come on Lakshya” chants filled the stadium even during his warm-up. A dhol was also played whenever Lakshya won a point, while “Bharat Mata ki Jai” chants echoed after his first-round win. The support remained loud even after his loss.
During Lakshya’s match, the announcement of a photo opportunity with Satwik Sairaj and Chirag Shetty at 5:30 pm saw a large number of fans gather. Fans waited eagerly for their chance to meet the Indian doubles stars.
Ayush Shetty then took centre stage, with dhols and chants of “Jeetega bhai jeetega, India jeetega” and “Jeetega bhai jeetega, Ayush jeetega” filling the venue. After his win, Ayush waved to the crowd, acknowledged the fans and clicked pictures with a few of them.
Then came PV Sindhu. “Come on Sindhu” and “Sindhu, Sindhu” chants echoed around the stadium, with dhols being played after her points. “Jeetega bhai jeetega, India jeetega” and “Jeetegi bhai jeetegi, Sindhu jeetegi” chants followed throughout the match.
During the match, it was announced that PV Sindhu would meet the fans after her game. A huge line quickly formed in front of the area where she was expected to meet the fans, with people waiting for almost an hour just to get a picture with her.
Ayush also came back to the area later for a separate commitment. A few fans followed him, and he took some time to click pictures and sign autographs for them as well.
It was another memorable evening at the World Championships, with the Indian players receiving a tremendous amount of love and support from the fans.
The post BWF World Championships Day 3: Lakshya, Ayush and Sindhu Set the Stadium Alight appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.
