JOIN USP V Sindhu has been the toast of the nation since her triumph at the BWF World Championships in Basel.
Since her return to the country, the Hyderabadi has been basking in the attention she has been receiving following her unprecedented feat by an Indian shuttler -- male of female.
From meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi to turning into a show-stopper at a fashion show in Hyderabad to attending functions and interviews, Sindhu has been quite busy.
Fans have been thronging to get a glimpse of their beloved star wherever she has been to and it was no different on Sunday here, at the state-of-the-art The Majesstine Sports -- a multi-sporting facility -- where every word she uttered was welcomed by a loud cheer from a sizable crowd.
Built on half-acre of space, Majesstine Sports is an integrated sporting centre with facilities for badminton, table tennis, cricket, football, swimming and kids’ play area.
It’s been a week since she overwhelmed Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara 21-7, 21-7 in the final but the celebrations haven’t stopped. “I am very very happy,” Sindhu told reporters. “Finally, I got it.. much-awaited win I must say,” said Sindhu, who had fallen short in the final hurdle in the previous two editions.
“I have been waiting for this for a very long time. Two bronze, two silver and finally gold! I have to be very thankful because everywhere I go people are congratulating me, and the reception I have been getting has been fantastic. It feels very nice,” she added.
The victory also bettered her record against Okuhara. They have faced each other 16 times overall, with Sindhu coming out on top on nine occasions to Japanese’s seven. “This win will give me the confidence to move to a higher level. I hope to do well,” she said.
The appointment of Korean coach Kim Ji-hyun, the 1994 Hiroshima Asian Games gold medallist, has turned out to be a masterstroke. Kim had joined team Sindhu in April. “I have been training with her for a couple of months. Definitely she has added a few things and I am very thankful to her,” expressed Sindhu.
“I have been changing a few things here and there. It is important because at every tournament a player comes with new strategies, new strokes. So it is important to change things and be equally strong.”
When you have a billion eyes on you, expecting nothing less than the best, the challenge can get even more daunting. Sindhu, therefore, chooses to stay calm. “Responsibility is always there,” she pointed out. “Just that we need to go on to the court and give our best rather than taking more pressure. If you think we have to win because everybody is expecting a lot that would add extra pressure. It is better to go into a mindset that you need to give the best just for yourself,” she explained.
Having secured the world title, Sindhu has set her eyes on the Olympic qualification now, starting from China Open in Changzhou from September 17 to 22. “It is important. It is the qualification year and we all have to be very focussed. it is very important for us to play each tournament really well,” she said.