India finally have a silver medalist at the Rio Olympic Games 2016. An Indian woman has finally won a silver medal at the Olympics. This is the 14th individual medal ever won by an Indian – only three others have done this from the country, only Abhinav Bindra has done better by winning gold. In reaching the final, to eventually lose in three games to Carolina Marin, the 21-year-old Sindhu from Hyderabad has broken new pathways, she has etched her name into the most revered annals of Indian sporting history.
The path PV Sindhu has scripted in standing on the podium at the end of the Women’s Badminton Singles event is being adorned with plaudits after her historic achievement, but it is still unimaginable to many the sacrifices Sindhu had to undertake in reaching this stage.
Sportskeeda was also in the mad rush of Indians wanting to let her know their thanks and appreciation after the final on Friday, and Sindhu responded by saying, “For the last three months, I had no access to the phone or internet, finally I have got it back from the coach.”
“I do not think it is a sacrifice because badminton is more important to me than the internet, and I chose what I love best,” she said with a beaming smile – a smile that has infected the mood of the nation.
Coach Pullela Gopichand, who has a big hand in Sindhu’s success, along with her parents, confirmed that he was indeed going to return Sindhu’s phone after a long gap. The former Olympian himself, Gopichand has been stressing for the last year how Sindhu could be the one to do something special at Rio 2016.
The last eight months have been a period of intense training for Sindhu, who apart from bringing glory to the nation in the sports arena, is pursuing an MBA degree from St.Ann’s College in Mehdipatnam, Hyderabad. It is well known how Sindhu has never let her academic pursuits suffer either, never having had to take a supplementary, despite playing frequent tournaments, sometimes clashing with her college exams.
For the last three months though, as a maiden Olympics appearance loomed, Sindhu had entered a period of intense training, not to be interrupted by anything else. The result is for there for everyone to see.
