How did PV Sindhu get here?
The History and Making of one of the Biggest Stars of Badminton
Have you ever thought of becoming a sportswoman for life but had people around you tell you that you can’t?
Have you ever gone beyond that first NO and asked them why?
Have you ever heard them reply — ‘Cos you are a girl?!
As PV Sindhu advances towards her second consecutive Olympics medal after her silver in Rio 2016, we sit here, wondering in awe and pleasant surprise — Do those people really know what a woman with belief in her dreams, can do?
Pusarla Venkata Sindhu, better known to us as PV Sindhu, is one of the most prominent Badminton players that India has ever produced. Born a Cancerian, on 5th July 1995 in Hyderabad, PV Sindhu comes from a legacy of sport running in her blood. Her parents PV Ramana and PV Vijaya were both national-level volleyball players.
That known, did you know that we were just about to lose an ace athlete to the medical profession? Oh yes, PV didn’t always want to become a sportsperson like her parents. Her dream was to pursue medicine and become a doctor someday. Thank God for Pullela Gopichand, a 2001 All England Badminton Champion who changed her mind and as we can see India’s destiny — he became her inspiration and she started playing badminton at the age of 8.
Like all focused women, PV Sindhu did not let her education fall by the wayside while she continued to focus on her first love — Badminton. She completed her graduation and post-graduation, acing academics with grit as she did her game.
Her first coach however was not Pullela Gopichand. She learned the basics of Badminton from Mehboob Ali — The legendary sports coach who has produced many greats for India like Saina Nehwal, Jwala Gutta and Shruti Kurien.
It was at the age of 10 when right-handed PV Sindhu started training at the Gopichand Badminton academy under her inspiration and guru, Pullela Gopichand.
Her journey in badminton began thereon…
From the doubles title at the Sub-Junior Nationals to the All India Rank in Pune in the under-13 category, PV Sindhu went on to win the under-14 team gold medal at the 51st National State Games in India. She made her International debut in 2009 at the Sub-Junior Asian Badminton Championship, winning a bronze medal in her very first international appearance. In 2012, PV Sindhu clinched the under-19 title with a three-game victory over Japan’s Okuhara Nozomi. By the age of 17, she was a formidable champion with several titles under her belt, including the Asia junior championship and her 1st Grand Prix.
A short stint at the Awadhe Warriors in the 2013 Indian Badminton League, PV saw her team qualify for the semi-finals after defeating Mumbai Marathas but losing the finals to Hyderabad HotShots.
In 2014, she upped her medal tally at the BWF World Badminton Championships and became the 1st Indian ever to win two back-to-back medals in the same competition. Later came the semi-finals, at the Commonwealth Games where she won the bronze medal against Malaysia’s Tee Jing Yi.
2015 saw PV rallying towards her peak as she landed at the final of a Superseries event in the Denmark Open. She took one opponent down after the other, including the very famous Carolina Marin. Although she lost the finals, her mark on the World map was made.
But PV was still just getting started.
In 2016, Indian Badminton saw history being created live at the Rio Olympics.
On 19th August 2016, PV Sindhu became the 1st Indian woman Badminton player to win a silver in women’s singles against her favourite opponent — Carolina Marin. She didn’t go for gold, but her power-packed performance was enough for international media to sit up and take notice of this rising Indian Star.
It was also in 2016 when PV Sindhu led her team Chennai Smashers in the Premier Badminton League to win the finals against Mumbai Rockets. Her consecutive wins inspired men and women in India and across the world to dream of taking up Badminton as a profession. 2017 saw her become the 1st Indian to win the Korean Open series and in 2018, PV Sindhu became the first Indian to win the BWF World-Tour finals Tournament in China.
With the wins came the money and 2018 saw the 5’10” PV Sindhu featuring tall at №7 on the Forbes list of ‘the highest-paid female athletes in 2018’ — her earnings that year were known to be upwards of 8.5 million USD.
The year 2021 saw tectonic shifts in her coaching — to train her to handle the Olympic heavyweights, again! PV Sindhu came out of the shadows of her childhood coach Pullela Gopichand and amid much gossip and rumour, started training under the Korean coach Park-Tae Sang.
The Swiss Open saw her suffer defeat at the hands of Carolina Marin and yet another blow came at the All Indian Open where she again was defeated by Pornpawee Chochuwong of Thailand.
An Arjuna in 2013, a Padma Shree in 2015 and a Rajeev Gandhi Khel Ratna in 2016 — the list of awards the nation bestowed upon PV Sindhu thanking her for her contributions towards Indian Sportsmanship is long and illustrious.
She knows her country loves her and she is capable enough to capitalize on that popularity too. She is known to be the second most popular sportsperson after Virat Kohli in terms of brands that adore her. Myntra, Nokia, Stayfree, Panasonic, Bank of Baroda — brands love the consistency and admiration, PV Sindhu brings to their campaigns as an ambassador. Some learnings from her favourite superstars Deepika and Ranveer there.
While a strict disciplinarian towards her own health and fitness regime, PV Sindhu loves an occasional biryani to soothe those Hyderabadi tastebuds. Her personal life remains a spotlessly clean reflection of her unflinching focus towards making her country proud.
It doesn’t matter if she wins or loses, she has proven to many who doubted that India is beyond just cricket and Indian women are beyond just mere spectators. She has established that if a girl decides to pursue her dreams, she can prove every doubting society wrong. We salute her indomitable spirit and hope she continues to beckon the hearts of every woman in India — who dreams of capturing international acclaim some day for her country. May there be more like her!
“If you have a goal in life, just think about that not just the sacrifices”
PV Sindhu…
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