cwg 2022: I badly wanted to win this gold: PV Sindhu

PV Sindhu had come close at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games but had to settle for silver. Coming to the 2022 CWG, she was the overwhelming favorite after her Singapore Super Series win in July. But then it’s one thing to be a favorite and another thing to live up to the tag and deliver. He has done. More importantly, she won despite not doing her best. This is the hallmark of a real champion. This is what he has been able to accomplish, to his satisfaction, in Birmingham. Speaking to ET after winning the gold medal, Sindhu spoke about what her first CWG title was like, why multi-nation sports are different, her long-term goals and much more. Part:

It takes a lot to win even when you’re not doing your best. tell us about it.

Absolutely. I had to dig really deep during this contest. I made some unexpected mistakes in matches, but I didn’t give up. And winning on days when you’re not playing your best is a great thing. It gives you a lot of confidence and satisfaction. There were some really long matches, long rallies, and I’m glad I was able to pull it off. When you play for India in multidisciplinary sports, there is always an added incentive. I wanted to win it badly. To get another chance in the finals to do something for our country is quite extraordinary. In that sense, this medal is very cute.

It is not easy to play one match after another in 16 hours. Can you describe how you inspired yourself to run out of that last little stockpile of fuel to win?

It was another very difficult week. Like I said, there were really long rallies and it was no different in the earlier few matches as well. It was a question of fitness and temperament. We both (Sindhu and Michelle Lee) were pushing each other. We knew it was a question of last standing. There were some very difficult moments as well. But this is the game for you. It tests you, pushes you hard. And so you play the game.

You dedicated your victory to the fans and the people of India.

The kind of support I got from the people back home and my fans here was appreciable. Did you see the crowd here every time I played? Everyone I met wished me luck and said I had to win. Being able to do this for them has given me great satisfaction. They help make the game what it is, and I am grateful for all the support and affection from my fans and people back home.

Things have changed dramatically for you after the 2016 Rio Olympics. It was the Michelle Lee match in Rio that changed it all. And here it was again in the final.

It was a very different match. And life has changed a lot after Rio. Saying this I did not change. There are endorsements, media engagements, sponsor commitments and many other things that were not there before Rio. It’s a very different life. I can’t go out anymore and do things like I used to. But that’s fine. I know people love me because I have made them proud. I play badminton and that is my identity. So, all I want to do is keep playing well, keep winning as many as possible for my country. Relaxation will happen automatically. The next target would be to do well at the Asian Games next year and of course in Paris 2024. There is nothing that can match that feeling when you see the tricolor going up. I want to see this happen in Paris 2024.

Originally published at Pen 18