"My coach left everything to be with me during the pandemic": PV Sindhu highlights coach Park Tae Sang's role in Olympics 2021 bronze

PV Sindhu created history for India on Day 9 of the 2021 Olympics. She won the bronze medal in the badminton women's singles, and in the process became the first female Indian athlete to win two Olympic medals.

She must be a little disappointed not to improve on her performance at the 2016 Rio Olympics, but this win would feel just as sweet, given that it came after a lot of hard work. The win also makes a statement - that PV Sindhu is right up there among the top players to grace the game of badminton.

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It is often said that winning doesn't come easy and requires a lot of sacrifice. PV Sindhu would agree with that statement. Training in lockdowns, the uncertainty due to delay of the Tokyo Olympics and being stuck at home were few of the numerous challenges that Sindhu had to overcome to win this medal.

Through all of this, she was accompanied by a Korean - Park Tae Sang. There was a lot of hue and cry when PV Sindhu decided to part ways with coach Pullela Gopichand and train with a foreign coach. The decision has paid off. Thanking her coach for his contribution, Sindhu said:

"My coach is happy. He put in a lot of effort and I would like to thank him. He left everything to be with me during the pandemic. He would have been missing his family. He always believed in me and we’ve finally done it. [At the end of the match] I just had tears and then went to my coach and hugged him.”

For Sindhu, the day is one of mixed emotions. She created a new level of greatness for herself today by becoming the first Indian female athlete with two Olympic medals. When called the greatest Indian female athlete, Sindhu said:

“It hasn’t sunk in yet, I don’t know what to say but I take that as a compliment.”

Sindhu debuted as a 15-year-old at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. At that time, sporting greatness of such gargantuan proportions would not have struck her mind. Recalling her journey and success up until this point, Sindhu shared:

“I always had a passion and wanted to get a medal. Back then I had just short term goals. I wanted to win the nationals first, then move to the Grand Prix and so on. I always took it step by step. I was happy after getting that medal in 2016. But, proving myself again in Tokyo was a different challenge.”

You are looking at #IND's first female two-time Olympic medallist! 😎#Tokyo2020 | #UnitedByEmotion | #StrongerTogether | #Badminton | @Pvsindhu1 pic.twitter.com/c91KtKoGGL

— #Tokyo2020 for India (@Tokyo2020hi) August 1, 2021

PV Sindhu - A member of the elite

This win carves out space for Sindhu in the badminton elite. Only four female badminton players have managed to achieve the feat of winning multiple Olympic medals and Sindhu is one of them. When asked about the mantra of succeeding at the very top level of badminton, Sindhu said:

“It is hard to stay at the top. You need to be consistent. Getting to that level is okay but staying at that level is what is challenging. You have to be constantly working hard since there are eyes on you. Everyone knows your game and style so you need to make the changes accordingly.”

But being the champion that Sindhu is, she still sees scope for improvements in her game. She feels that it is important to keep working on herself and strive to improve each day. She said:

"Improving is a constant process. Since 2016, I’ve improved. Every day is a new process and still have so much to learn. You win at times and lose at times, but you have to remember to keep learning.”

Part of being an elite athlete is that expectations never stop. After her success in Tokyo, fans and experts have set the next target for PV Sindhu - the 2024 Paris Olympics. When asked about her pursuit for a third Olympic medal, Sindhu said:

“I am just in the the moment. Let me be there for a while. We’ll start [preparing for the Paris Olympics] but not now.”

Certainly, the Indian shuttler has earned the right to enjoy her win for a while. As for India, it is a nation that beams with pride. It has witnessed a great champion today.

With the prayers of a billion people, Sindhu created history today. Yes, not having improved on her previous Olympic performance might pinch her a bit, but a medal is a victory in itself.