<p>“You can’t play all your life,” said two-time Olympic medallist <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/p-v-sindhu">P V Sindhu</a>, as she urged students and young athletes to prioritise education alongside sports, calling it a lifelong safety net in an otherwise uncertain career.</p><p>Speaking at a fireside conversation at DPS International, Gurugram, Sindhu highlighted the realities of a sporting career, stressing that success in sports, while rewarding, is often short-lived.</p><p>Drawing from her experience, Sindhu pointed out that every athlete eventually has to step away from competitive sport.</p><p>“I have been playing for so many years. At some point of time you have to retire, right? And that's the truth. You can't be playing sport when you're 45 or 50 or 60 at the highest level. And you have to accept that fact, whereas education will always be lifelong with you,” she said, as reported by <em>PTI.</em></p><p>She added that unlike sport, education remains a constant. Her remarks align with views often expressed by national coach Pullela Gopichand, who has consistently advocated for balancing academics with sports.</p>.'It was stressful, no tickets were available...': PV Sindhu back home after Dubai ordeal .<p><strong>Balancing books and badminton</strong></p><p>Sindhu also spoke about managing both academics and training, underlining that the dual pursuit is difficult but necessary.</p><p>“Nobody is born with a golden spoon and you have to work hard, whether it is in studies or sports... Studies and sports are equally important,” she said.</p><p>“I have done my MBA. So, I know, like, it's not easy... you go to training in the morning, come back, study, and then you go for evening sessions,” she added.</p><p>The Hyderabad-based shuttler completed her Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com) from St Ann’s College for Women and went on to earn an MBA, along with an honorary doctorate from Vels University, Chennai.</p><p><strong>“Sport is risky”: Lessons from injury</strong></p><p>Highlighting the unpredictability of a sporting career, Sindhu cautioned young athletes about the risks involved, particularly injuries.</p><p>“I might sound mean, maybe they might not understand now, but in the later stage in their life, they will understand that, yes, studies are also important. Because, you know, sport sometimes, it's very risky where sometimes you have an injury and you never know how it goes,” she emphasised.</p><p>She added, “...your life might end, you might have surgery... injuries... At that point of time, you have to make sure that you are ready for everything in life.”</p><p>Recalling a challenging phase in her career, Sindhu spoke about a stress fracture in 2015 that sidelined her for six months ahead of the 2016 Rio Olympics.</p><p>“Everybody tried to stay calm but obviously it was serious. I was just in time to see the doctor after playing for several weeks with pain. So yes I have had self doubt, whether I would play again or not.”</p>
<p>“You can’t play all your life,” said two-time Olympic medallist <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/p-v-sindhu">P V Sindhu</a>, as she urged students and young athletes to prioritise education alongside sports, calling it a lifelong safety net in an otherwise uncertain career.</p><p>Speaking at a fireside conversation at DPS International, Gurugram, Sindhu highlighted the realities of a sporting career, stressing that success in sports, while rewarding, is often short-lived.</p><p>Drawing from her experience, Sindhu pointed out that every athlete eventually has to step away from competitive sport.</p><p>“I have been playing for so many years. At some point of time you have to retire, right? And that's the truth. You can't be playing sport when you're 45 or 50 or 60 at the highest level. And you have to accept that fact, whereas education will always be lifelong with you,” she said, as reported by <em>PTI.</em></p><p>She added that unlike sport, education remains a constant. Her remarks align with views often expressed by national coach Pullela Gopichand, who has consistently advocated for balancing academics with sports.</p>.'It was stressful, no tickets were available...': PV Sindhu back home after Dubai ordeal .<p><strong>Balancing books and badminton</strong></p><p>Sindhu also spoke about managing both academics and training, underlining that the dual pursuit is difficult but necessary.</p><p>“Nobody is born with a golden spoon and you have to work hard, whether it is in studies or sports... Studies and sports are equally important,” she said.</p><p>“I have done my MBA. So, I know, like, it's not easy... you go to training in the morning, come back, study, and then you go for evening sessions,” she added.</p><p>The Hyderabad-based shuttler completed her Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com) from St Ann’s College for Women and went on to earn an MBA, along with an honorary doctorate from Vels University, Chennai.</p><p><strong>“Sport is risky”: Lessons from injury</strong></p><p>Highlighting the unpredictability of a sporting career, Sindhu cautioned young athletes about the risks involved, particularly injuries.</p><p>“I might sound mean, maybe they might not understand now, but in the later stage in their life, they will understand that, yes, studies are also important. Because, you know, sport sometimes, it's very risky where sometimes you have an injury and you never know how it goes,” she emphasised.</p><p>She added, “...your life might end, you might have surgery... injuries... At that point of time, you have to make sure that you are ready for everything in life.”</p><p>Recalling a challenging phase in her career, Sindhu spoke about a stress fracture in 2015 that sidelined her for six months ahead of the 2016 Rio Olympics.</p><p>“Everybody tried to stay calm but obviously it was serious. I was just in time to see the doctor after playing for several weeks with pain. So yes I have had self doubt, whether I would play again or not.”</p>
