JOIN USP V Sindhu was the epitome of grace on Friday, even when her golden dreams lay shattered on the centre court at the Riocentro Pavilion.
She picked herself off the court, walked up to the other side where the gold-medal winner, Carolina Marin, was having a tearful time. She congratulated the new champion, kept her racquet in her courtside box before finding some consolation on the shoulders of her coach Pullela Gopichand.
Minutes later, with a shining silver medal around her neck, she was answering questions from the media with composure, never letting her disappointment come out.
“I am on cloud nine,” said Sindhu. “The aim was to get a medal after I reached the final and I hoped well enough to win the gold. But never mind, I have got the silver. We both played well, she was amazing,” she said.
Given the tough draw that was handed to her, Sindhu said she didn’t expect to make the final. “I am really proud of the way I fought. I didn’t expect that I’d make the final. After that, I worked really hard. The final was anyone’s game. But she won a couple of points from there and remained ahead right until the end,” she said.
Sindhu, the second Indian to win a badminton medal after Saina Nehwal’s bronze in London 2012, hoped her success would act as an inspiration to the youngsters. “We have many players coming up, in men’s singles, K Srikanth lost only to Lin Dan. I am sure more players will come up in the country,” she said.
Sindhu dedicated her silver to her coach and her parents. "This is for them, they have supported me all along," she said.
Asked whether her life would change after this, Sindhu felt that was a possibility. “I have won the silver medal, things can change in life but now, I will celebrate.”
Gopichand was pleased with the way Sindhu carried herself. “I am happy with the way she conducted herself. I am sure she will go far in her sport,” said the man who has shaped the careers of two Olympic medalists now.
Marin, meanwhile, was thrilled with the triumph after shedding more tears on the podium. “It is more than a medal because of everything behind the medal. It is amazing that my dream has come true. I have the best team behind me, they helped me a lot and were amazing,” she said.