You’re an inspiration, you’re a trailblazer, you’re our pride, you’re a legend. Sindhu, you go girl!
Pusarla Venkata Sindhu has been turning over a new leaf for India. Back in 2015, she became the first ever women’s singles player to win a medal in world championship and also the youngest to be honoured with India’s fourth highest civilian award, the Padma Shri and now in 2016, she became the first Indian woman to win a silver Olympic medal. What an overwhelming feeling it would have been for her and what a thunderous applause this proud Indian girl must have received. She first defeated Japan's Nozomi Okuhara to enter the final and battled against Spain’s Carolina Marin, losing to her 21-19, 12-21 and 15-21 at the badminton final on the D-day and bagged the silver.
Sindhu achieved like no one before and became the first Indian woman to win a silver medal at Olympics.
Like every great player, she has got her attitude and never say-die spirit strong. She never tried to escape from struggles and challenges and was never out of training. Starting from travelling for more than 50 km every day to reach her training centre in Hyderabad, training for seven hours with two small snack breaks to beginning training sessions even with one leg fractured, is a sportsperson spirit.
She was 17 when she watched Saina Nehwal bagging bronze medal at London Olympics. At 20, she had those three jewels, winning a three-peat of Macau Grand Prix gold title and today at 21, she is taking India’s badminton legacy even farther by earning a silver for India.
2013 was a major morale-boosting eventful year for her as she won her maiden Grand Prix gold at the Malaysian open and headed on to win the first of her hat-trick of titles at the Macau Open.
Not just this, she had a long series of achievements -- Sindhu won a bronze in Badminton Championships, Colombo. She bagged silver in the women's singles at Iran Fair International Badminton Challenge in 2010. She found a place in the national team at the 2010 Uber Cup. Sindhu stood out at international level during 2012 where she stunned London Olympics gold-medalist Li Xuerui.
In 2014, she reached the semi-finals of Common Wealth Games in women's single category. In 2015, she won the Malaysia Masters Grand Prix Gold women's singles title.
And now at last, silver at Rio, 2016. Splendid.
Cheers, Salute you, PV
