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At almost 6 feet, PV Sindhu is a head-turner even before she starts wielding magic with her racquet on court. Less than 4 years ago, I remember this quiet, shy and really tall girl walking unassumingly by the media reporters who’d come in to interview players like Saina Nehwal, Jwala Gutta, P Kashyap and the man behind them all, Coach Pullela Gopichand at his outstanding Badminton Academy in Hyderabad.
If you managed to catch her eye, she’d treat you to her warm smile. PV Sindhu would continue practising hard and long in the indoor courts at the academy, as the battery of cameramen and photographers rallied around the courts where the newsmakers of badminton played.
In 2013, PV Sindhu turned the spotlight on herself by clinching her debut Grand Prix Gold at the Malaysian Open beating 5th seed Singaporean Juan Gu.
As I made my way to her in the subsequent press conference in Hyderabad, she beamed holding her medal. I wondered, which shone brighter, her 1000-watt winner’s smile or the medal she held high! She promised to do even better and assured many of us that she was just getting started.
Sindhu is the Daughter of an Arjuna Awardee
The following months and years gave those of us reporting on the rise of Indian badminton a chance to meet and know PV Sindhu from up close. Talking to her parents, national-level volleyball players themselves, PV Ramana and Vijaya, is perhaps the best way of understanding Sindhu’s deep commitment to the sport. As the child of an Arjuna awardee, she is no stranger to the dedication and discipline a sport demands.
Sitting in her house in a neighbourhood not far from mine in Secunderabad (Telangana), I would often be welcome to watch her international matches with the family. The tension in the room among all present, reporters, friends and family, before Sindhu would step on the court, was palpable. Maybe that’s what sport does, it binds us all like a family, rooting for that one person who is representing the hopes and dreams of an entire nation.
From then to now, with PV Sindhu assuring India of a medal in women’s badminton singles in 2016, the only thing that has changed apart from the volume of those hopes and dreams, is Sindhu’s aggression on court! From being a mild-tempered teenager to an aggressive “finish-the-game” Olympian, Sindhu’s transformation is complete. But much like her guru and Dronacharya awardee Pullela Gopichand, the temper is reserved for on-court alone. Off court, she is a darling daughter and a disciplined student.
“I Will Play My Heart Out to Win”
Among several things that stand out at Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy, there is a tradition of facing situations together, and thus it was no surprise when PV Sindhu’s and Gopichand’s families decided to watch the nail-biting Olympic semi-finals together at the academy.
This has been no short rally. Years of sweat, sacrifice and dedication from everyone present there has led to this moment of triumph. The celebration of a medal or the dejection of a defeat keep this big family of fighter players, parents, coaches and staff together, to strive for above and beyond. Regardless of a victory or a loss, the next day is business as usual, with training commencing much before sunrise.
Soon after booking a place in the Olympic Finals, PV Sindhu said, “My target is gold and I will play my heart out to win.” The truth is, she hasn’t been taught any other way. As the nation celebrates this young achiever, my thoughts are with the small neighbourhood back home where it all started, the unrelenting coach and the unbelievably proud parents. The Hyderabadi in me couldn’t be happier!
(Preeti Singh is a freelance journalist working out of the UK.)
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