Indian badminton ace P. V. Sindhu was awarded the Sportstar Aces 2020 'Sportstar of the Year' award. Having missed the awards ceremony in Mumbai due to her participation in the Malaysia Masters, Sindhu was honoured by L. V. Navaneeth, CEO, The HinduGroup Publishing Private Limited and Ayon Sengupta, Editor, Sportstar , in Chennai.
The 24-year-old's World Championships triumph was one of Indian badminton's most memorable moments in 2019. It made her the only Indian shuttler to be crowned world champion.
Sindhu was the only Indian to feature in the BWF World Tour Finals where the top eight players — both men and women — compete. The Hyderabad-based shuttler was also second only to Virat Kohli, the captain of India's men's cricket team, in terms of earnings from brand endorsements in 2019.
'Sportstar has been special'
" Sportstar has been very special for me. When I was younger and when I first featured in a poster in the magazine, it was a big deal for me. I was really happy about it. Years went by and now to get this award means a lot, it is motivating. I thank the jury for recognising the work we do for the country," Sindhu said.
Sindhu also won the Sportstar Aces 'Sportswoman of the Year Award' in the Racquet Sports category. Coach P. Gopi Chand collected the prize on her behalf. "It feels great to win not one but two awards. It gives you a lot of confidence to take your game forward, do better and win medals for the country," Sindhu said.
'A good year'
When asked if laurels and recognition come with an ounce of pressure on the side, Sindhu insisted on looking at the positives.
WATCH | RECAP: Sportstar Aces awards
"It's not pressure, it's more of an encouragement. It's been a good year; even though I had my fair share of ups and downs, the World Championship gold stood out. After losing in the finals, getting three bronze and two silver medals, it felt great to finally get the gold. Awards like this add to the motivation ahead of the Olympics." she added.
'Focus is to stay fit'
On her preparation ahead of the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, the World No. 6 said, "Qualifications are on now. The focus is to stay fit and give our 100 per cent on the court. The ultimate aim for anyone is the Olympics. Everyone will be in their peak but it all comes to who does best on the day of the game. It's not easy but I'll give it my best and hopefully bring back a medal for the country."
IN PICTURES | ACES AWARDS 2020
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, chess ace Viswanathan Anand, The HinduPublishing GroupLimited chairman N. Ram, former India hockey captain M. M. Somaya, Olympian shooter Anjali Bhagwat and Olympian shuttler Aparna Popat selected the deserving winners in categories involving young athletes, teams, coaches and parathletes.
The awards look to create a medium of knowledge and vision exchange as it brings all stakeholders of Indian sports under one roof.
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