PV Sindhu Shares Key Advice for the Next Generation of Shuttlers

PV Sindhu has a stark warning for the next generation of athletes. The two-time Olympic medalist says a sports career can end in an instant. She argues education is the only reliable backup plan. She warned that if they only focus on sports as their career, it could be cut short at any given moment by any injury.

“I have been playing for so many years. At some point in time, you have to retire, right? And that’s the truth. You can’t be playing sports when you’re 45 or 50 or 60 at the highest level. And you have to accept that fact, whereas education will always be lifelong with you, and that will always stay with you,” said Sindhu.

Sindhu shared these views last Wednesday at DPS International while with educationist Devyani Jaipuria. Sindhu recalled her own fracture from 2015, which almost ended her career and put her out for six months, leaving her very little time for the 2016 Olympics. Despite a setback like this, she still managed to win a silver medal in Rio de Janeiro.

“Everybody tried to stay calm, but obviously it was serious. I was just in time to see the doctor after playing for several weeks with pain. So yes, I have had self-doubt, whether I would play again or not,” she recalled.

The Badminton Ace, who is currently on a break due to temporary airspace closures with regional tensions in Dubai, pointed out that any injury right now can completely derail her career, and that’s why she urges all the athletes to have an academic backup.

“Nobody is born with a golden spoon and you have to work hard, whether it is in studies or sports…Studies and sports are equally important. I have done my MBA. So, I know, like, it’s not easy…you go to training in the morning, come back, study, and then you go for evening sessions.

Because at the end of the day, that is the truth, where sports is a very small thing, right? Life-long, you know, you will always have an education by your side.” She said.

However, PV Sindhu is all set to return after her long absence

On Tuesday, The Badminton Association of India (BAI) announced that India will be leading with a strong team for the 2026 Thomas and Uber Cup Finals, set to be held in Horsens, Denmark, from April 24 to May 3.

The team will consist of all the emerging talents who gave phenomenal performances in recent months on the international stage. In the women’s competition, PV Sindhu will spearhead India’s campaign, supported by rising star Unnati Hooda.

Sindhu will return to action for the first time since missing the All England Open and Swiss Open in March.