PV Sindhu the ‘Golden girl’ of Indian Badminton was one of the favourites in the Indian contingent to bring a medal home this year. The current reigning world champion was expected to win a second consecutive medal at Tokyo after her Silver finish at the Rio Olympics in 2016, making her the only Indian woman to do so. This would mean she would be one of only two Indians to etch their place in history for consecutive Olympic medals, and Sindhu did not disappoint. But more than the bronze medal itself, there were some things that she did on and off the court that made her win Gold in our hearts. Here are a few reasons why we are so proud of this champion.
She is open about her struggles
Anxiety is a very real issue, and PV Sindhu demonstrated that she is not immune to it. With immense pressure on her to win a medal PV Sindhu says “Constantly I was thinking about the bronze medal match later in the day. I kept thinking ‘What’s going to happen?’ I had a lot of things inside me going: ‘what if you win?’, ‘what if you lose?’, ‘what if you win?’, ‘what if you lose?’ Although we don’t know what helped her finally tap into her serenity and win the Bronze, we do know that anxiety is a very real thing, be in in sports, career, education or relationships. An excellent piece of advice to quell anxiety that has helped me is found in the Bible, it says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” That’s right! Since we cannot change the outcome (even if we tried) the best possible thing to do in anxious situations is to quietly pray and rest assured in knowing that God’s got your back.
She is no slacker
Although we only see the big medals that PV Sindhu has won on the global stage, we often forget the big sacrifices that have led her thus far. In 2012 she missed her elder sister’s wedding in order to attend a competition in which she won gold; she also went without her phone for over 3 months to concentrate solely on her game. These sacrifices have made the main stream media, but I am sure there are many more that have gone unreported. The early morning trainings, the rigorous work outs, the cut back on favorite food – she achieved success by sheer hard work and dedication. This principle of hard work and dedication is essential for any sphere of life. In the Bible it says “The slacker craves yet has nothing, but the soul of the diligent is fully satisfied.” So, as we sample her success and take inspiration from her about dedication and hard work, let us undauntedly strive for the goals we have set. Who knows, perhaps you story maybe the inspiration someone else needs to achieve their goals.
She is an encourager
While most would be caught up in a celebratory mood after winning the bronze medal at the Olympics, PV Showed up to support her friend Tai Tzu- Ying for the finals. After winning the silver in hotly contested final Tai Tzu- Ying made a special mention of PV Sindhu saying “PV Sindhu hugged me and told me, I know you are sick but you did very well today…that encouragement made me cry.” The mettle of a person is seen in the way they handle their success. PV Sindhu’s camaraderie and care for her fellow players is truly inspirational and in keeping with the spirit of the Olympics. In this world where is so much negativity, and where many seek only their own ends, we need more ‘encourages’ to rise to the occasion. So be an encouragement to someone, your words may make a difference much bigger than any medal ever can.
Quotes from news sources
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