PV Sindhu - Yet another landmark achievement!

Well, this young and committed shuttler has spread her magic yet again. Yes, the girl in question is PV Sindhu, a native of Hyderabad. The beaming Indian shuttler is treated as a successor to Saina Nehwal.

Yes, she has lost in the semi finals of the Swiss Open yesterday, but she has fought bravely. She has matched the Chinese shuttlers toe-to-toe and this is no mean feat!

Sindhu got into the limelight when she was able to bag a price of Rs. 30 lakh in the first ever IBL auction last year. Though she lost to Saina Nehwal in the Syed Modi trophy this year and in the IBL last year, the way she has shown her spark is truly remarkable. With her dedication and self confidence, she is definitely going to delight her fans for many years to come. The best part is that with her innocent yet result oriented approach, she has inspired many of the youngsters. Especially the young girls have been inspired – they follow the game vigorously and this has already converted this backyard exercise into a career oriented sport!

Sindhu had thrashed World No.2 Shixian Wang in a thrilling quarter final in straight games. This had secured her place in the semi finals at the $125,000 Swiss Open. Sindhu, who is currently holding the World No.9 position, took only 45 minutes to defeat Wang 21-17, 21-15. Sindhu also gained a 3-0 lead over the Chinese player in career meetings so far. Even in the semi final yesterday, she won the first game 21-18, although she lost the next two and bowed out of the tournament. But still, she deserves to be applauded.

Sindhu had also defeated the World No. 2 in the World Championships last year. It is interesting to note that Saina Nehwal is currently holding 8th position and Sindhu might get past Saina in the world ranking after the Swiss Open results are counted. That would be quite an achievement!

In fact, judging her capabilities, the prominent news paper The Hindu had once written, “The fact that she reports on time at the coaching camps daily, travelling a distance of 56 km from her residence, is perhaps a reflection of her willingness to complete her desire to be a good badminton player with the required hard work and commitment.”There is a common saying that when a player learns his mistakes and is willing to accept criticism, he/she will always achieve glory. Her fighting spirit has transformed her from an upcoming player to a challenging opponent for any given opponent. Sindhu had once said that she does not fear anyone come what may!

She has been lucky to have a mentor and a father figure in Pullela Gopichand, who has nourished her in the most dedicated manner. Explaining her never give up attitude, Gopichand once said, “The most striking feature in Sindhu’s game that has caught my attention so far has been that she never loses hope and knows what she is doing. Her positive attitude is destined to take her far and make her enter into the elite group of shuttlers India ever had.”

Sindhu was the first Indian shuttler to win a medal at the world championships. This calm and composed player has also won two Grand Prix events. We hope she continues on her path to success!