PV Sindhu, who turns 23 on 5 July, became a household name overnight after she clinched a silver medal at the 2016 Olympics. In a watershed year, the badminton star soared in the world rankings and also took home her first Super Series title within three months.
But her wins on the badminton court is not all that’s cool about Pusarla Venkata Sindhu. Here’s a look at five incredible facts about the star shuttler on her birthday.
1. MBA Degree
Sindhu threw herself into badminton at a very young age. She spent a major part of the day working on her badminton skills but she made sure, she never neglected her studies. After graduating with a BCom degree, Sindhu is now pursuing her MBA from St Ann’s College for Women in Mehdipatnam.
In a chat with The Quint, she said:
I have continued to pursue my education while following my dreams in badminton. In fact, I’ve managed to not drop a year or fail until now. Till Class 7, I used to top my class, and after that, when I started concentrating on badminton, I would still manage well.
2. India’s No. 2 Athlete Endorser
With endorsement fees of about Rs 1-1.25 crore a day, Sindhu is second only to Virat Kohli when it comes to bagging advertisement deals. After her Rio feat, she signed a three-year deal with sports management firm Baseline Ventures that guaranteed a minimum of Rs 50 crore.
Besides being signed on by some of the biggest brands in the country, she was also the face for the government’s GST Bill.
3. Sindhu’s Silver Glory
By winning the semi-finals of the women’s singles badminton event at Rio, PV Sindhu broke two records. In a thrilling finale, the Hyderabad girl went down fighting to then world number one Carolina Marin.
But Sindhu came home a winner – and as the first Indian woman to scoop up a silver medal at the Olympics. The other record? She also became the youngest Indian to win an Olympic medal.
4. Daughter Of An Arjuna Awardee
Not many know that both PV Sindhu’s parents used to play volleyball. Her father PV Ramana won the Arjuna Award in 2000 and was part of the Indian squad that won the 1986 Seoul Asian Games.
Sindhu herself has received the Arjuna Award, Khel Ratna and Padma Shri.
5. CRPF Brand Ambassador
PV Sindhu returned from Rio to a hero’s welcome. For her outstanding performance at the prestigious games, the Telangana government announced Rs 5 crore cash reward and a 1,000 square yard housing site near the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy in Gachibowli.
The country’s largest paramilitary force CRPF also appointed her as its brand ambassador and bestowed the honorary rank of Commander on the ace badminton player.
(This article has been republished from The Quint’s archives on the occasion of PV Sindhu’s 23rd birthday. This article was first published on 5 July 2017.)
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