PV SINDHU

Pusarla Venkata Sindhu, known as PV Sindhu, is an Indian professional badminton player. She was born on July 5, 1995, in Hyderabad. One of the youngest and most talented players of contemporary times, Sindhu has featured in the top 10 of the world rankings, for most parts of her career.

Background

P V Sindhu got her first taste of badminton from Pullela Gopichand and drew inspiration from him. She started playing badminton when she was eight years old and later joined Gopichand’s Badminton Academy.

Sindhu’s first major recognition came in the form of the 5th Servo All India ranking championship in the under-10 category. In the under-13 category, she won the doubles titles at the Sub-Junior Nationals and the All India Ranking in Pune. At the 51st National School Games in India, she won the gold medal in the under-14 category.

Early Achievements

P. V. Sindhu didn’t need much time to establish herself as a promising player in the global arena. She made her international debut in 2009 at The Sub-Junior Asian Badminton Championships. She introduced herself to the world by winning a bronze medal in her first international competition. She later finished as runner-up in the 2010 Iran Fajr International Badminton Challenge and reached the quarterfinals of the 2010 Junior World Badminton Championships in Mexico. At the age of 17, she won the Asian Junior Championships.

Sindhu’s first Grand Prix win came in 2013 when she defeated Singapore’s Gu Juan to clinch the Malaysian Open title. Her form continued at The World Championships in 2013, where she went on to win the bronze medal. She repeated the same feat next year, becoming the first player from India to win a medal at the World Championships for two consecutive years. She also competed in her first Commonwealth Games later that year, where she reached the semifinals.