Thiruvananthapuram, Ace India shuttler P.V. Sindhu, who recently became the first Indian world champion, on Wednesday said all her focus now remains on clinching the top honours at next year’s Tokyo Olympic Games.
Sindhu had missed out on the gold medal as she lost to Spain’s Carolina Marin in the summit clash in the 2016 Olympics. However, now the 24-year-old is committed to improve her performance at the prestigious quadrennial event and turn the silver she won in Rio into gold.
“Right now, my focus is on the 2020 Olympic Games and my main aim is to work hard and give my best in Tokyo,” Sindhu told reporters on the sidelines of an event where she was facilitated by the Kerala government in the presence of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
“My ultimate aim is to get gold. I know it”s not going to be easy and I need to work hard,” she added.
In August, Sindhu became the first Indian to bag gold at the world championships after a dominating win over Japan”s Nozomi Okuhara in the final.
However, her form dipped a bit as she made early exits from the China Open and Korea Open to slip to the sixth spot in the latest rankings. Sindhu will now look to bounce back at the French Open World Tour Super 750 tournament starting in Paris on October 22.
Meanwhile, Vijayan said Sindhu winning the World Championship has turned out to be a morale booster for the entire sporting fraternity in the country.
“Her fighting spirit has helped her to be very successful and today in the country, she has become a sporting icon. She has the grit and determination to go forward and win bigger laurels. Sindhu has a huge following in Kerala and we seek her help for supporting the state in taking forward the sporting activities,” said Vijayan.
In the morning dressed in a typical Kerala saree, Sindhu had visited temples and was later brought to the felicitation venue in a procession.
