Pusarla Venkata Sindhu, popularly referred to as P.V. Sindhu, has made it to the chronicles of badminton's history as among India's best sportspersons. On July 5, 1995, she was born in Hyderabad, India. Sindhu's path, from being an early enthusiast of the sport to becoming a household name in global badminton, is motivating and representative of commitment, endurance, and exceptionalism.
Early Life and Education
Sindhu was born into a sporting family. She is from a sports-enthusiast family. Her parents, P.V. Ramana and P. Vijaya, were volleyball players at the national level. Her father, Ramana, was a member of the Indian volleyball team that won a bronze medal at the 1986 Seoul Asian Games and was awarded the Arjuna Award in 2000 for his services to the sport. Although her parents were volleyball players, Sindhu was attracted to badminton when she saw the success of Pullela Gopichand, the All England Open Badminton Champion in 2001. She started her badminton training at the tender age of eight under the mentorship of Mehboob Ali at the Indian Railway Institute of Signal Engineering and Telecommunications in Secunderabad. She was later to join the Gopichand Badminton Academy, with Gopichand himself closely monitoring her abilities. Sindhu pursued her academic career at Auxilium High School and, later on, at St. Ann's College for Women, Hyderabad. Meanwhile, she steadily rose through the ranks in the badminton world.
Sindhu rose meteorically to the top in the badminton world. She first brought international attention in 2012 when, at the age of 17, she broke into the top 20 of the BWF World Rankings. She was known for her aggressive play, powerful smashes, and excellent court coverage. In 2013, she won her first World Championship medal, a bronze, indicating that she was now on the world stage.
Olympic Success
Sindhu's Olympic run has been nothing less than historic. At the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, she became India's first woman to have won an Olympic silver medal in badminton, edged out of gold by a hair in an electrifying final against Spain's Carolina Marín. She maintained her excellent record at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics (held in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic), where she won a bronze medal, becoming the first Indian female to win two Olympic medals.
World Championships and Other Major Tournaments
Sindhu's ability is also exemplified by her performances at the BWF World Championships. She has won a total of five medals in these championships, with a gold in 2019, becoming the first Indian woman to do so.
Her solidity in big competitions is seen through her medal record in competitions such as the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. At the 2018 Commonwealth Games, she won a silver medal in women's singles and a gold in the mixed team event. In the same year, she won a silver medal at the Asian Games, further solidifying her position as one of the world's best badminton players.
Playing Style and Training
Sindhu had the predatory approach, excellent reach, and tactical sense to play her game. Sindhu's height also made her deliver strong smashes and domination at the courts, which resulted from long years of practice for better defensive skills and net play. Her training procedure experienced a change, where she trained under multiple coaches in South Korean coach Park Tae-sang, that enhanced her diverse skill and tactics.
Awards and Recognitions
Sindhu has been rewarded with several awards for her contributions to badminton and her achievements. She received the Arjuna Award in 2013, Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian award, in 2015, and Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, India's highest sporting honor, now Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna, in 2016. In 2020, she was given the Padma Bhushan, the country's third-highest civilian award, for her immense contribution to sports.
Personal Life
In December 2024, Sindhu got engaged to businessman Venkata Datta Sai, and the couple married on December 22 in a ceremony held in Udaipur.
Apart from her badminton career, Sindhu has been associated with Bharat Petroleum since July 2013, starting as an assistant sports manager and later being promoted to deputy sports manager following her Olympic silver medal win.
She was given the appointment as Deputy Collector (Group-I) by the Andhra Pradesh government in July 2017, a post which she took up in August of the same year.
Legacy and Impact
P.V. Sindhu's rise from a young girl who idolized a badminton icon to becoming an icon herself is a testament to her passion, hard work, and commitment to the sport. She has not only raised Indian badminton to new heights on the international stage but has also inspired numerous young sportspersons, particularly women, to take up sports as a career. Her journey emphasizes the need for perseverance, flexibility, and the unrelenting pursuit of excellence.
In conclusion, P.V. Sindhu is an inspiration to the world of sports. By her achievements alone, she has crossed the boundaries of badminton to become a national icon and the symbol of what could be achieved by sheer will and tenacity. While continuing to thrive in her career, the world would wait in expectation of seeing her best come first with Sindhu.
