BWF World Championships 2021 Final Highlights: Kidambi Srikanth bags historic silver, goes down fighting to Loh Kean Yew

That's all the action we have for you from today's final and the 26th edition of the BWF World Championships. We hope you enjoyed the coverage because we certainly had a great time bringing it to you.

This is Shivansh Gupta bidding you goodbye for now. Until next time, CIAO!

After 43 minutes of high-class badminton, it ended with Loh Kean Yew beating Kidambi Srikanth 21-15,22-10

All 4 medal winners pose with their medals with the tournament mascot.

A huge smile from the gold medallists and a few gentles smiles from the other three medals winners

-LAKSHYA SEN RECEIVES HIS BRONZE MEDAL

-THIS IS FOLLOWED BY KIDAMBI SRIKANTH RECEIVING HIS SILVER MEDAL

-And finally, World Champions Loh Kean Yew with his gold medal.

The flags go up, Two from India as they all pay respect to the winner through Singapore's national anthem

It was always going to be tough for Srikanth but he fought till the very end.

Led 9-3 in the first game before Loh fought back.

Then, in the second game, he fought neck and neck before finally going down.

Hold your head high, Kidambi Srikanth

KIDAMBI SRIKANTH CLINCHES A HISTORIC SILVER MEDAL. He may not have gold but he has reached where no other men's singles player from India ever has

He goes down fighting in the final to Singapore's Loh Kean Yew 15-21, 20-22

READ SCORES:

[KIDAMBI SRIKANTH - LOH KEAN YEH]

10-12: He returns one but can't repeat it. Kidambi smashes the birdied down the line of his forehand to Loh's backhand side. He returns one is beaten on the other

11-13: SMART FROM LOH! A gentle crosscourt, forehand tap that finds the box in the corner of the court

12:13: HE FIGHTS ON! KS' drop shot is returned into the net by Loh

12-14: In the next point, his regulation dribe flies long

15:14: Three unforced errors from Loh and Kidambi is into the the lead.

16-14: THE LEAD GROWS! WHAT A RALLY! He doubles his advantage with the point of the GAME! A scintillating forehand, crosscourt drop. Loh dives and returns it before Kidambi put the point to bed with a crosscourt net shot

16-15: NICE! A perfectly-weighted drop shot at the net from Loh wins him the point.

17-15: The battle at the net continues and once again, Srikanth comes out on top

17-16: A LOUD GRUNT FORM LOH as Kidambi rams his forehand, down the line smash into the net

18-16:  A MISHIT FROM LOH AND KIDAMBI INCHES CLOSER

18-17: He knew it was a silly error as his net dribble barely reaches the net. Kidambi immediately turns around in disgust

18-18: KIDAMBI MISSES THE SMASH and it falls wide of the sideline

18-19: A bodyline smash from Loh and Kidambi has no answers.

18-20: YOU ARE KDDING ME! A returned every smash from Kidambi, who eventually nets his forehand tap

CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS- 2 OF THEM

19-20: Not yet, Kidambi gets one back

20-20: KIDAMBI ISN'T GOING ANYWHERE! Brilliant net play followed by a smashing winner

HE SAVES TWO MATCH POINTS

20-21: NO WAY! A costly miss by Kidambi

20-22: LOH WINS IT! HE IS THE CHAMPION! Gets there with a perfectly-weighted lift that falls inside the baseline

READ SCORES:

[KIDAMBI SRIKANTH - LOH KEAN YEH]

Loh to serve first in second game

1-0: 1st point to Kidambi as Loh shoots his return long

1-1: JUST TOO GOOD! A forehand, crosscourt jump smash from the backcourt and he finds the line

2-1: Now, he takes the lead

3-2: MUCH BETTER FROM SRIKANTH! Pushes Loh deep on backhand side before playing an overhead drop shot from deep inside his court

3-3: THIS IS WHAT IS HURTING SRIKANTH! Yet another down the line smash that drags wide of the sideline. This is more mental than physical.

4-4: A rare long rally in this game and this time, it goes to the Indian as Loh taps the birdie wide and long of the backcourt.

5-4: TAKE THAT, HE SAYS! A gentle lift from Loh and Kidambi responds with a heavy down the line smash into the centre court

6-4: NOT THIS TIME, SAYS SRIKANTH! Draws Loh forward with a gentle drop. Loh, tries to go crosscourt with the return but he plays it into the net

6-5: CARELESS, AS THE COMMENTATOR SAYS! A regualtion return falling wide.

7-5: CLOBBERED! A short lift from Loh and KS latches onto it by drilling the birdie past Loh's forehand defensive tap.

7-6: He is having these bouts of casualness today. Pushes Loh deep into the backcourt and then nets his gentle crosscourt, forehand drop.

9-6: WELL, WELL, WELL! Loh nets his regulation backhand dribble.

9-7: A crosscourt, overhead drive from Kidambi rams into the net. Another casual error. Needs to curb them

9-8: Make that 2 on the trot. He drags his jump smash wide of the right sideline.

9-9: THE BEST RALLY OF THE MATCH ends with Srikanth gently poking the shuttle into the net. he did so well to move from defense to offense only to throw the point away.

9-11: THE SINGAPORE SHUTTLER HEADS INTO THE TOWEL BREAK by scoring a point of his crosscourt, forehand smash past a diving Srikanth

After leading 9-3, India's Srikanth loses game 1 15-21 in just 16 minutes

READ SCORES:

[KIDAMBI SRIKANTH - LOH KEAN YEH]

11-9: THAT'S A BEAUTY! A jump smash from Kidambi to the body of Loh and he sticks his racket out for a scintillating crosscourt, forehand drop

11-10: DRIFTS LONG. An unforced error from the Indian

11-11: HE'S BACK LEVEL! A glorious overhead down the line smash from Loh and he has certainly shaken off his first nerves

12-12: Once again, just as Kidambi takes the lead, Loh comes back level

12-13: THAT WAS FAST AS FLASH! Loh dives forward to return Kidambi's drop and then he is back up even before Kidambi plays it. Loh gets over the net to smash the birdie home.

13-14: LOH IN THE LEAD. Rifles the smash to Kidambi's backhand side, who in turn nets the return

13-17: HE WAS 7-11 AND NOW HE'S IN THE LEAD as Srikanth hits another regulation return long

14-18: PRESSURE! yet again, an unforced error from the Indian as his backhand drive shoots long of the backline

14-19: A forehand down the line smash and it falls wide. One way traffic now

15-19: Srikanth unleashes a flurry of jump smashes before Loh nets his forehand return

15-20: GAME POINT as he brings KS forward with a drop before driving the birdie into empty space

15-21 LOH KEAN YEW TAKES GAME 1 IN 16 MINUTES

READ SCORES:

[KIDAMBI SRIKANTH - LOH KEAN YEH]

Srikanth to serve first.

0-1: Loh wins the first point of the match. A net dribble that clips the net and Srikanth nets his return

1-1: Srikanth answers instantly. A forehand bodyline smash and a lose return from Loh allows him to smash the birdie for the winner

1-2: Good footwork and Loh takes the lead one again as Srikanth goes wide

1-3: Another brilliant drop shot and Srikanth has no answers

2-3: BRAVE! A flat, net dribble catches Loh off guard and the he hit a backhand down the line in empty space

4-3: Srikanth, as expected, going for short rallies. Last night's game must have taken a lot out of him

5-3: Brilliant drop shot. Pushes Loh deep into the backcourt and then plays a well-disguised drop shot. 

6-3: KIDAMBI IS ON FIRE! A jump drop shot and Loh has to dig deep to return off the backhand but he nets it.

7-3: Another point for Srikanth

8-3: HE'S RUNNING AWAY WITH IT, SO FAR. A flat forehand, down the line return from Loh. Srikanth meets with his backhand drop

9-3: 8 STRAIGHT POINTS. Loh's return is wide of the left sideline

9-4: MUCH BETTER! A lovely backhand crosscourt drop to get the service change

9-6: An overhead jump smash from backcourt by Kidambi but it drifts wide of the sideline

9-7: BADMINTON OF THE HIGHTEST LEVEL! We knew this battle was going to grab eyeballs around the net and Loh shows why. A quick drop shot, brings Kidambi forward on the backhand return and then drives it back into the empty area of his court.

11-7: Srikanth heads into the towel break with the lead.

Kidambi sirkanth is weating a white-tshirt and black shorts.

Loh Kean Yew is in his blue and red outfit

OUT THEY COME, THE PLAYERS YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR.

No.12 seed Kidambi Srikanth of India vs unseeded Loh Kean Yew of Singapore

Women's Singles Final - Akane Yamaguchi (JPN) bt Tai Tzu Ying (TPE) 21-14, 21-11

Mixed Doubles Final - Dechapol Puavaranukroh/Sapsiree Taerattanachai (THA) bt Yuta Watanabe/Arisa Higashino (JPN) 21-13, 21-14

Women's Doubles Final - Chen Qing Chen/Jia Yi Fan (CHN) bt Lee Sohee/Shin Seungchan (KOR) 21-16, 21-17

Men's Doubles Final - Takuro Hoki/Yugo Kobayashi (JPN) bt He Ji Ting/Tan Qiang (CHN) 21-12, 21-18

Right then. The medal ceremony for the men's doubles final is done and dusted.

ARE YOU READY?!

2 years ago, PV Sindhu became the first Indian and Indian female shuttler to bag a World Championships Gold.

Today, Srikanth must get past Loh, the giant-killer, to win the first-ever men's singles Gold.

The two have only faced each other once. They squared off in the 2018 Commonwealth Games' Mixed Team event and it was the Indian pair, consisting of Srikanth, that beat the Singap duo, including Loh, 21-17,21-14

Ladies and gentlemen, the match we'd all been waiting for is a couple of minutes away. Kidambi Srikanth Vs Loh Kean Yew is here

TAKURA HOKI AND YUGO KOBAYASHI have become Japan's first men's doubles pair to win the World Championships Double

The women's doubles pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa had won a bronze in 2011.

India's second-most successful player at the coveted championships has been Saina Nehwal, bagging Silver in 2015 and Bronze in 2017

At the World Championships, PV Sindhu has been the best Indian shuttler by a mile. She has won 5 medals.

GOLD- 2019

Silver- 2017 & 2018

Bronze- 2013 and 2014

India has won 11 medals so far, 8 out of which have been won by women shuttlers. Let's take a look at who were they

In the men's category, the nation has bagged three medals thus far.

-Prakash Padukone - Bronze in 1983

-B Sai Praneeth - Bronze in 2019

-Lakshya Sen- Bronze on 2019

The 4th final of the day is already underway. In a few minutes time, the men's singles final will begin.