'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The inaugural edition of the 2016 Premier Badminton League came to a close on Sunday night with the Delhi Acers emerging as the winners on home turf. The two-week long tournament provided several moments of joy for the fans, who thronged the stands and turned the event into a real carnival.As with any high-profile event, of course, there were several lessons to take away with regard to the players and the sport in general. Here are 5 things that we learnt from the 2016 edition of the PBL:
#1 India needs back-up in womens singles
PV Sindhu was outstanding for the Chennai Smashers while Saina Nehwal performed decently despite not being 100%. But crucially, there was no other spectacular performance from any of the Indian women’s singles players.
PC Thulasi was perhaps the weakest link in the Acers line-up, and the others in the rest of the teams didn't look too convincing either. The road ahead is long and if India is to continue making its presence felt in global badminton, there have to be more players who can stake a claim to challenge the best in the world.
Badminton is now among India’s most followed sports, and to keep up the popularity the country needs to start producing more players who can bring home more laurels.
#2 PV Sindhu may have found her mojo back
There is little doubting the fact that PV Sindhu was the best Indian player on view in the whole tournament. The 20-year-old was excellent both near the net and on the far end, and was hardly ever stretched during the course of the tournament
Sindhu remained undefeated in all the five matches that she played and led from the front in every match for the Chennai Smashers. With just five months left for the shuttlers to qualify for Rio 2016, she will look to build on this positive start and try and make the cut for her maiden Olympics.
#3 Siril Verma is one to watch in the future
For a large part of the competition, the Hyderabad Hunters used Lee Chong Wei and Parupalli Kashyap for their men’s singles ties. But during a home match against the Mumbai Rockets we got a glimpse of 16-year-old Siril Verma.
The World Junior Championships silver medalist looked good particularly in the opening game, mixing in drop shots with some neat play near the net. Even though he couldn't sustain his momentum, the string of impressive points he put together was an eye-opener of sorts for many watching the match.
The youngster has impressed chief coach Pullela Gopichand as well, and hopefully in the future he can develop his potential and turn into a global star.
#4 Tommy Sugiarto is Mr. Consistent
One of the reasons for the Delhi Acers' title triumph was the consistent showing of Indonesia's Tommy Sugiarto. The World No. 12 lost just two games during the entire duration of the tournament and was very good even when the Trump Match depended on him.
Sugiarto also showed that he has the ability to deliver on the biggest stage, as he clinched both matches that he played in the semis as well as the finals.
Prior to the start of the tournament if you were to assess the men’s singles contingent of each teams, you would've marked the Acers as the team with the strongest group of players. True to that idea, the trio of Sugiarto, Ajay Jayaram and Rajiv Ouseph were impressive throughout.
#5 The crowds love the PBL!
With a shorter point format and the introduction of the Trump Match, the 2016 PBL was certainly a new experience for all the players involved in the tournament. However, it seems that the format has found its approval from the public as well.
The fans flocked to every venue across the country, cheering their favorite players along and creating a vibrant atmosphere in the stadium.
What was particularly encouraging to see was the support that the overseas professionals received from the locals. For instance, Tommy Sugiarto got the loudest cheers among all the players from the Delhi Acers in the Bangalore leg.
