To Infinity And Beyond

P.V. SINDHU has the mind of a champion and the heart of AN ORDINARY GIRL

- Lalita Iyer

On her return to India, after winning the silver at the Rio Olympics, badminton player P.V. Sindhu was swamped with adulation and promises of government jobs, property, flats, jewellery and other gifts; enough to sweep an ordinary girl off her feet. People waited, watched and wondered if that was the limit of Sindhu’s achievements. But this tall and graceful girl stayed grounded. She took a small break and drank in the adulation before picking up her racquet and getting back to the grind.

“The moment we landed in Hyderabad, I was astonished to see the lakhs of people waiting to greet us,” says Sindhu. “There was even a crowd on the way home from the airport. The same love and affection was shown the next day at Vijayawada. These two incidents will remain unforgettable in my life. Till I saw the sea of humanity, I never thought my medal-winning performance at Rio would bring so much happiness to our people.”

Following her victory, it was a month of hectic off-field activity. “Yes, it was a tsunami of events all over India, from meeting the prime minister and the president to attending a felicitation event at my college. Though I cannot single out any event to say what impressed me or where people were nice, I can only say that I really enjoyed their warmth and affection.”

To prove that she is hungry for more and that the Olympic medal did not go to her head, she won the China Open defeating local favourite Sun Yu in 69 minutes to clinch her first Super Series Premier title. The 21-year-old became the third non-Chinese woman to win the title, after Malaysia’s Wong Mew Choo in 2007 and India’s Saina Nehwal in 2014.