Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu now looks to give back to the sport, with the foundation stone for the ‘Centre of Sports Excellence’, initiated by the shuttler, laid in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday. Andhra Pradesh Minister Nara Lokesh performed the foundation stone-laying ceremony for the facility, which will be constructed in the Arilova area of Visakhapatnam. Sindhu was also present at the ceremony. While speaking to the media, she talked about the ceremony and her aim to give back to the sport after spending over a decade as a top-level badminton player. A total of seven sports will be promoted through the facility, and Sindhu hopes it will help build a generation of new sporting champions for the nation.
Speaking to the media, she said, “I am very happy and very excited. Today, we had this ‘Bhumi Puja’ and foundation stone-laying ceremony, and it gives me great pleasure. Of course, Lokesh garu came and performed it. Also, other ministers, the sports minister and MLAs, are here. I am very happy that we have started, and I have been given a timeline, which is the year 2028.”
“I hope I inspire a lot of kids out there, and I hope to see a lot of girls and boys from here bring glory to the state as well as the nation,” she added.
Sindhu said that she is a deputy collector in the state government and has been allotted land for building this facility. She added that she wants to give back to the sport by encouraging players and fostering a promising, competitive sporting ecosystem in the state.
“I am a deputy collector in the Andhra government, and they have given me land here. So I think, you know, I have learned a lot from sports, and sport has given me so much in my life. I think it is time to give back to the sport now. I see a lot of youngsters, a lot of talent and a lot of competition in Andhra,” she said.
“I thought, you know, having a world-class sports institute here will help a lot of kids showcase their talent and prove themselves. So I am glad that I am setting up the academy here,” she added.
Sindhu said that after the facility is constructed, talent will be identified based on rankings and sporting aptitude, with the academy promoting seven different sports.
“Initially, when they start as kids, they would want to explore every sport, and when they are nine or ten years old, they would want to choose one sport. According to their abilities and foundation, some of them might need a lot of strength and endurance. We will assess that, and we have experts available. We will have world-class coaches as well and will take it forward accordingly,” she said.
Sindhu said that, having played badminton for so many years and been a part of that ecosystem, she understands what it takes to become a champion, build a champion and encourage young talent.
“I understand that not everybody can become an Olympic champion. Some people might take a long time to achieve success, while others might achieve it very early. But the most important part is that you need to have that belief and support,” she said.
“No matter where life takes you, you will see more losses than wins, and you will learn from them, experience them and bounce back stronger. This is what I want to tell the kids out there: do not lose hope, keep believing in yourself. So I am hoping for the best. Hopefully, during the grand opening, Chandrababu Naidu (Andhra CM) will be there. It will be my great pleasure to build a great sports institute with the support of the Andhra government and the Sports Authority of India (SAI),” she signed off.