By Sriraj Singhania
As I pen down this article, PV Sindhu has won the Indian Open Super Series and in the process, defeated her old nemesis – Carolina Marin in straight sets.
She is the same nemesis who had stopped her from playing the Indian National Anthem in the Rio Olympics.
Defying all odds and expectations , she breezed past the Spaniard 21-19 21-16 at the Siri Fort Sports Complex.
The new face of Indian Badminton , Pusarla Venkata Sindhu is not an overnight success. Pullela Gopichand’s victory at the 2011 All England Open Badminton Championship inspired her to walk on his footsteps.
Child Prodigy :
A child prodigy, PV Sindhu didn’t get many chances to face off with the seniors. One of her first coaches, Mehboob Ali, a prominent figure in the Badminton circuit himself advised her to do wall practice “till the paint peeled off” and she didn’t step back from that challenge.
Commuting 4 hours everyday from her home to the academy during her schooling days is a testimony to her dedication and perseverance which has taken her to the pinnacle of Indian Badminton.
Priorities Set :
PV Sindhu had her priorities set. She missed her class 10 board exams as she was playing in Moscow back then. She didn’t make any new friends as she was completely focused on her day to day preparation.
PV Sindhu also had to forgo her sister’s wedding ceremony to take part in the 2012 Syed Modi India Grand Prix Gold event in Lucknow.
She won the Arjuna award at a very naive age of 19 but didn’t attend the awards ceremony as she was busy plying her trade at the finals of Indian Badminton League.
Awards :
She has won a slew of awards throughout her career most notably, The Arjuna Award, Silver Medalist at the Rio Olympics, Rajiv Gandhi Khal Ratna Award, Bronze Medalist at 2014 Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and World Badminton Championship, youngest recipient of the Padma Shri award and many more.
Pre-Olympics Routine :
Many of us are unaware of the fact that PV Sindhu had started her draining preparations for the Rio Olympics on one leg. She had a fractured foot but still went on with the grueling schedule. She used to have 7 hour training sessions with two 15 minutes snack breaks in between.
She was also deprived of her phone for about 3 months before the Olympics and was also made to shy away from having ice cream. No wonder, her name is etched in minds of every Indian.
“Revenge” might be too big a word to use for her latest win against Carolina Marin after the heartbreaking loss in the finals in Rio but she has definitely gained the upper hand in the battle of the two champions.
Let’s hope that she goes from strength to strength and make sure that the Indian Anthem is played the next time she plays in the Finals if an Olympics.
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