PT Usha shares an old picture with world champion PV Sindhu and recalls the story.
On Sunday, when P V Sindhu created history by becoming the first ever Indian to clinch a gold at the World Badminton Championship, a delighted Usha tweeted this picture, congratulating Sindhu.
The passion and dedication for the sport will always be rewarded when hardwork comes into play. @Pvsindhu1 success will inspire generations to come!
Hefty congratulations on winning the Gold at #BWFWorldChampionships2019 ?? pic.twitter.com/xBP7RgOHnt— P.T. USHA (@PTUshaOfficial) August 25, 2019
Speaking to media, Usha recalled the moment when the photograph was taken 18 years ago. “There was an All India Railway Meet sports tournament in Hyderabad, around 2001. Sindhu’s father Ramana was a volleyball player and he also worked with the Railways. When I went for the meet, it wasn’t in hotels that I stayed, but with Sindhu’s family. I generally don’t stay with families in such trips, but I knew her family well and that’s why I stayed with them for three to four days. She was a small girl at that time.”
Usha remembers Ramana telling her that Sindhu loves sports. “At that time, all I saw was this innocent, bubbly kid who was happy to play on my lap. The family took many photos of it.
When I left, I wished her the best.” That said, Usha got hold of the photo only a few years ago. “After the 2016 Olympics, her dad sent me this photo asking, ‘Do you remember who this is?’ and of course, I remembered. From that day, I kept the cute photo saved as a lovely memory of meeting Sindhu,” Usha recalls.
The veteran says wherever she is, she ensures she watches Sindhu’s matches. “I began observing her closely from the time Sindhu and Saina were together, often, named as the next big names in Indian women’s badminton. I have watched her match live too a few times.” Usha says while Sindhu is all aggressive on court, outside of it, she is a gentle and mostly quiet person. “Even when I hear something unpleasant about her, which can’t be helped in today’s world, I ensure that I ask her father what the truth is,” Usha says. “We had spoken just about two weeks ago as well.”
According to Usha, Sindhu owes a lot to her parents’ persistence and their enthusiasm to ensure that their daughter gets the best training. “They have put in a lot of time and effort into it and that’s definitely paying off,” she says.
There was a time when Sindhu was criticised for stumbling at the finals of major games. However, Usha says one shouldn’t look at it negatively. “We can all see that her graph is going up and she has been bringing medals for the country, repeatedly. Yes, failures happen and that’s part of sports. But she has never rested on her laurels or lost motivation and have only turned all her experiences into gaining more medals. I believe that’s how we should look at it,” says the Olympian.
She hasn’t got a chance to speak to Sindhu yet, after the World championship. “I know she would be quite busy now and on Sunday, it was even her mom’s birthday. So, I am in no hurry,” says Usha.
Post Your Comments