New Delhi: The entire country has fallen short of words of praise for ace shuttler PV Sindhu ever since she won the historic Silver medal at Rio Olympics 2016.
Sindhu, who had two Bronze medals to her name at World Championships, looked a totally different player in Rio where she defeated higher-ranked opponents back-to-back in what was a gutsy show at the biggest sporting spectacle.
In a heartbreak moment for fans, Saina Nehwal was knocked out early in the tournament. Saina, who was battling with a knee injury, lost to Marija Ulitina of Ukrain who defeated her 21-18, 21-19.
It was one of the lowest moments for India in the event and the fans were extremely disappointed.
But the way Sindhu performed in all the matches since then, is something which the fans will remember for a long time.
When asked if she had leapfrogged Saina as India's top shuttler, Sindhu told The Times of India, "Well that's up to you to decide. For me, it's only the start. I will definitely work harder and get many more laurels. Comparison will always be there between us. When it's off court, we are normal friends. On court, when we are competitors, we just play to win. It's not that you play with some grudge. You just play thinking `I should win'. Even she would play thinking the same way."
Sindhu, who has been attending a series of events and ceremonies since her arrival in India, said that nothing was going to change for her in terms of training and she would hit the court as usual at 04:30 am every morning.
"I will be there at the same time, because I am used to that time. We will stick to the same schedule. I play the first session, followed by (Kidambi) Srikanth and many other players. He (Gopi) trains us one by one. Hats off to his patience that he looks after each and every player so diligently," said the 21-year-old.
