2 states in a scramble to court Silver Sindhu

Both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are already claiming ‘proprietary’ rights to PV Sindhu, the silver lining in Indian Olympics. The only sane voice in the din made by the two states was that of Sindhu’s mentor Pullela Gopichand who said that "she belongs" to India. He also underscored the fact that all states wanted to be a part of the celebration.

The Telangana government on Monday accorded a rousing reception to Sindhu and Gopichand at Gachibowli Stadium after their arrival from Rio. For almost three hours, the duo rode in an open double-decker bus, requisitioned specially from BEST, Mumbai; draped with strings of marigold, the bus was showered with flower petals by a cheerful crowd en route to the stadium. The Andhra Pradesh government has similar grand plans. At the airport, which the two states share, top politicians of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh jostled with each other to greet the champion. Incidentally, Sindhu's mother P Vijaya is from Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh while her father PV Ramana is from Adilabad in Telangana. The two states have also been in a scramble to announce cash reward for the Olympian. After Andhra announced a cash dole of Rs three crore, within hours, the Telangana government announced a bounty of Rs five crore.

As is customary, politicians could not help putting their foot in the mouth. Deputy Chief Minister of Telangana, Mehmood Ali, is a case in point. Eager to upstage Andhra Pradesh, he said, "We are planning to provide Sindhu with a proper foreign coach, so that she can fetch the Gold next time." Sindhu, who is yet to get over the jet lag after a nearly 30-hour flight, will now head to Vijaywada, where the Andhra Pradesh government has planned a copy-cat ride from the airport to a stadium. Input NDTV