Sindhu's performance will give others confidence: Ashwini Ponnappa

New Delhi, Aug 10 (IANS)

Ashwini Ponnappa (R) in action along with Jwala Gutta

Ashwini Ponnappa, the last Indian to have won a medal at the World Badminton Championships before P.V. Sindhu, praised her compatriot and said that her medal-winning performance will give other Indians confidence to play fearlessly.

Ashwini won the women’s doubles bronze medal at the Worlds with Jwala Gutta two years ago in London, only the second ever medal for India. Prakash Padukone had won the first one in 1983 at Copenhagen when he clinched the men’s singles bronze.

“I think Sindhu’s performance has been really good. She is the first Indian to have won a bronze in women’s singles. This will definitely give all the other Indian players a lot of confidence to go out and play the top international players without any fear,” Ashwini told IANS Saturday.

Sindhu lost her semifinal match at the competition Saturday against Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand, to settle for a bronze.