PV Sindhu steals hearts in Vizag

VISAKHAPATNAM: No film actor or politician, of late, could pull Vizagites out of the comforts of their homes as Olympics silver medalist PV Sindhu could on a rainy Sunday morning during her whirlwind tour of Port City. Thousands of people thronged the main road of Waltair Uplands leading to Siripuram to greet her. Sindhu was in the city to inaugurate a retail showroom.Clad in a traditional yellow silk saree, Sindhu instantly won the hearts of Vizagites saying, “I am happy to be back to the city. I visited the city in 2012 to participate in a tournament at Swarna Bharathi Indoor Stadium. I love Vizag.”
Sindhu said, “For success, parental support and hard work is important. I am happy that many Indian women are doing really well in sports.” When asked about the status of badminton training in the country, she quipped, “I can tell you about myself. We do not lack in anything. The government has also been supportive.” So how has life been for her after coming back to India with the silver medal. “Life is back to normal with rigorous seven to eight hours of daily practice. Even before boarding the 7.10 am flight for Vizag, she practised at the Gopichand Academy from 3.45 am to 5.15 am,” said PV Ramana, Sindhu's father, who is also an Arjuna awardee volleyball player himself and senior sports officer in the South Central Railways.
Rigorous practice is needed as Sindhu's next destination is the French Open and Denmark. She is leaving for Europe on October 15. All England super series is also coming up and she needs to be fit. “I find a lot of positive changes in her post Olympics. She is concentrating more on her game and she will fight for the gold medal in the next Olympics. Though biryani is her favourite food, Sindhu avoids junk food and maintains her weight below 66 kg. Many tourneys are coming up. She is also the role model for youngsters,” added her father.
But it doesn't mean that Sindhu's education has been neglected. She had passed B.Com in first class. She is currently pursuing MBA. Sindhu’s mother too is a volleyball player while her elder sister is pursuing post graduation is gynaecology. Besides badminton, Sindhu loves to watch movies, attend parties and play with children. Sindhu also didn't disappoint the schoolchildren, who gathered to greet her. “She gave us autographs and we took selfies with her. We feel inspired after meeting Sindhu,” said Ch Nirupama, a class IX student of Pollock’s School.