‘BADMINTON IS NO LONGER IGNORED’
Olympic silver medallist PV Sindhu talks about the importance of sports, says she will settle for nothing less than gold at the Tokyo Olympics
Ace badminton player, Pusarla Venkata Sindhu aka PV Sindhu, who brought glory to India in the 2016 Rio Olympics by being the first ever Indian woman to win a silver medal, recently became the first Indian to win the BWF World Title. Sindhu is evidently happy with the way her career has shaped up so far.
At the recently concluded Premier Badminton League (PBL), Sindhu played for Hyderabad Hunters, where she led the team to the semifinals. Sindhu feels that such leagues are only improving the state of sports in our country, “I think badminton is one of the most watched sports in India. PBL is very popular, too. So far, badminton is doing really well and we have had world class players fly down to participate in the league, which is a very good sign. So, hopefully, it will continue, and we will move further ahead. Leagues like these will always encourage the players to come up and play, and I hope to see a lot of players playing in PBL in the coming years. It’s good that these leagues are happening in every sport as they just help increase the popularity of these games,” says Sindhu.
When we think about the crazy fan following that cricket enjoys, it might lead one to think that badminton has still not reached that level of popularity. But Sindhu insists that badminton is no longer an ignored sport. “A lot of players are looking up to badminton and playing the sport now. So, I would not say that it is an ignored sport,” she says, adding that the Government of India is doing a great job in popularising sports by introducing initiatives such as Khelo India, etc. “We definitely have a lot of facilities, and the government is doing a very good job. I hope that we get to see more programmes like these. Also, it is important that we start teaching sports to children at the grass-roots level. Schools should make one sport compulsory, and students should spend a particular amount of time playing that sport everyday. That will be an essential step to help children improve,” says Sindhu.
Even after achieving so much, at such a young age, the 23-year-old sportsperson says she still has a long way to go. “I have achieved a lot, and I am very happy about it, but I think this is only the beginning. It’s 2018 now, and there is definitely a lot more to achieve, as the (Tokyo 2020) Olympics, too, is approaching. Soon, the qualification rounds will start. It’s not going to be easy. I need to keep working hard and I have to be fit and healthy. There are a lot of good players and I need to work extra hard. Every tournament is important for me because every tournament counts. At the end of the day, it is only the top 16 players who will qualify, so every set counts,” she says, adding that she is definitely aiming for the gold in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The shuttler is well aware of the expectations that the nation has from her, but that pressure doesn’t bog her down. “Of course, there are A biopic on you is in the making…
The biopic is exciting and I am looking forward to it. Sonu Sood is producing it, so he would know much better about the nittygritty of it. But yes, it does make me happy that a lot of people see me as an inspiration, and I hope that this film will inspire a more people to take up sports.
A lot is said about your on-court rivalry with Saina Nehwal... On-court rivalry should exist. It is a very healthy competition which is good for the sport as well.
high expectations. But I don’t feel any pressure because after the last Olympics, a lot of changes have happened, and a lot of responsibilities have come on me. But you just have to keep working hard and give your best, and you will get success which will make everyone happy,” she says.