Sindhu Embarks on New Season with Fresh Aspirations and Life Changes
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New Delhi, Jan 13 (NationPress) Following her beautiful wedding in Udaipur, two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu has redirected her attention to the competitive arena, entering the new season with fresh aspirations and a renewed life. Sindhu, who married Hyderabad-based entrepreneur Venkata Datta Sai in a private ceremony last month, is set to participate in the India Open, a BWF Super 750 event, commencing on Tuesday, marking her first competition post-marriage.
"It’s a new year, hence new aspirations, a new life, and a new phase, and I’m truly excited for it. This is my first tournament (after marriage and in the new season), and it’s happening on home turf. I missed this tournament (India Open) last year due to an injury. I am eager to kick things off and hope for a successful performance," Sindhu shared with IANS during the pre-tournament press conference on Monday.
The shuttler from Hyderabad claimed the India Open title in 2017 (then a BWF Super Series event) and was the runner-up the following year. Since then, she reached the semifinals in 2019 and 2022 and faced an early exit in 2023, missing the Super 750 competition last year due to injury.
Discussing the support from local fans, Sindhu expressed, "There’s always been strong backing from the crowd, and I hope the fans rally behind me here; their support is crucial for my performance in the tournament."
As Sindhu prepares to kick off her first tournament of the year against young Indian Anupama Upadhyaya, she commended the emerging talent among the youth.
"There’s significant potential among the youngsters, and many are performing impressively. Of course, I’m facing an Indian in the opening round (of India Open), and on the court, it’s merely an opponent, so one must stay alert," she stated.
The 29-year-old Indian star, who secured the Syed Modi International title last month, breaking a two-year title drought, has also recently laid the foundation for her own sports academy in Visakhapatnam.
Following her gold medal victory in women’s singles at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Sindhu faced a challenging period as she struggled to regain her form post-injury, resulting in several early exits that caused her to fall out of the top 10 world rankings in March 2023—a position she had held since November 2016.
Compounding her challenges, Sindhu missed the opportunity to achieve a three-peat of Olympic medals after being eliminated in the pre-quarterfinals of the Paris Olympics.
