In 2020, Sindhu welcomed home a Labrador named Rio, named after her silver medal run at the 2016 Olympics
P.V. Sindhu, 26, Badminton player, Hyderabad; Photo by Bandeep Singh/ India Today
With two Olympic and Asian Games medals, a World Championship title and countless other tournament wins under her belt, P.V. Sindhu is not only India’s greatest badminton player, but also its greatest female athlete. She remains driven even after gaining success and its tricky byproduct—fame.
With two Olympic and Asian Games medals, a World Championship title and countless other tournament wins under her belt, P.V. Sindhu is not only India’s greatest badminton player, but also its greatest female athlete. She remains driven even after gaining success and its tricky byproduct—fame.
After bagging a bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Games and becoming only the second Indian sportsperson to win back-to-back Olympic medals, Sindhu could have rested on her accomplishment and taken 2021 off. Instead, she was back on court soon, reaching the semis of three tournaments and the finals of the World Tour Finals.
A disciplined work ethic, the need to work on her weaknesses and the hunger to learn new tactics are essential to Sindhu’s consistency and longevity. Her ability to stay in shape and be relatively injury-free in a physically gruelling sport are also underrated. For the betterment of Indian sport, she needs a rival. But there’s no denying that the Hyderabadi is the queen and, thankfully for fans, she’s in no mood to relinquish her throne yet.
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