Tokyo, Aug 2: Reigning world champion P V Sindhu on Monday said she was completely blank after winning a second successive Olympic medal and it took her a while to realise the enormity of her historic achievement in the ongoing Games.
The 26-year-old Indian on Sunday etched her name among the all-time greats after winning badminton’s women’s singles bronze medal to add to the silver she won at Rio de Janeiro five years back. She became the first Indian woman and second overall from the country to achieve the feat.
“…I was blank, my coach was literally in tears, it was a big moment. I hugged him and said ‘Thank you’. I didn’t know what to do for 5-6 seconds, I shouted, so all emotions came together at that moment,” she said during a virtual press conference.
In the third-place play-off, Sindhu beat China’s He Bing Jiao. Sindhu said coach Park Tae-sang’s encouragement helped her to recover from the semifinal loss and claim the bronze for the country.
“After the semis, I was really sad, I was in tears but my coach said it is not over yet. There were mixed emotions, if I should be sad or happy but Park told one thing. He said ‘there is a lot of difference between a fourth position and a bronze’ and that really hit me,” she said. “I went with the mindset that I have to give my 100 percent and get that medal.” (PTI)
