Celebrating One of India’s Finest Sportsperson- PV Sindhu

India was elated with joy when we saw PV Sindhu win a bronze medal in badminton at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. This wonder girl created history by becoming the only Indian woman to win two Olympic medals and the fourth athlete to win multiple medals in the women’s singles badminton category. We were all rooting for her and were confident that she’d come back with a medal from the esteemed sporting event.

Pusarla Venkata Sindhu is rightly said to be the flag-bearer of the sport- badminton in India. PV became a household name when she won a silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Ever since the victory, she became one of the shiniest stars in the world of sports in India.

PV became the first-ever Indian to win a gold at the BWF World Championships in 2019. She began with scripting noteworthy accomplishments from a young age and her journey to glory in a brief time frame is worth discussing.

PV was born on 5 July 1995 in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh. Both her parents were national-level volleyball players and her father is an Arjuna Awardee who was a member of the team that had won a bronze at the Seoul Asian Games in 1986. Hailing from a family of sportspersons, PV drew towards sports from a young age and was inspired from the success of Pullela Gopichand. She was just 8 when badminton caught PV’s fancy.

Pusarla entered the international circuit when she was 14. She secured a spot for herself into the top 20 of the BWF world ranking at the age of 17 in the year 2012. PV is the second woman shuttler in the world to win more than 4 medals at the world championships. Breaking the barriers, she made herself to the Forbes list of Highest-Paid Female Athletes in 2018 and 2019. PV currently stands as World no. 7 honored with Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna.

Sindhu’s journey is a story of sacrifice and hard work. From being given a list of dos and don’ts after losing a hard-fought match at the Australian Open in 2015 to being imposed with restrictions on food and late nights, PV has done it all. As a 20-year-old, she was up for surrendering her phone for better training and concentration on her form.

Control of the mind is key to success is what one can learn from the badminton champion. She made her Olympic dream turn true with this form of determination. Having been soak under pressure, Pusarla is always ready to represent India with her best at global events.

Pusarla is a beacon who shines her light and inspires generations to work magnificently towards their dreams. As Indians and sports lovers, we are proud of her and would extend our best wishes to this powerhouse of talent.

Written by
Ms. Tista Nautiyal
Team IISM