HYDERABAD: A father’s fervent plea for a gift on the eve of her bronze medal playoff against China’s He Bing Jiao seemed to have worked wonders on PV Sindhu.
The silver medallist at the Rio Games won an Olympic medal for the second time running and her bronze in Tokyo on Sunday made her the only Indian woman with two Olympic medals.
The semifinal defeat to Tai Tzu-Ying on Saturday weighed her down but PV Ramana said he convinced Sindhu to give it her best. “I told her not to ponder over the semis loss. It was painful but she came back strongly. I told her to think it was a gift for me and play her best game,” said the former volleyball international and Arjuna awardee.
Ramana has been a huge influence on her daughter’s career and it was no different in Tokyo.
“I had told her to focus on the game and show the right body language. Yesterday, I told her that Bing Jiao had played three-setters in her earlier games and it is not easy for her to continue with the same rhythm. I also sent her a video of Bing Jiao’s match in Delhi. Her coach and Sindhu analysed it and came up with a good strategy,” he said.
The colour of the medal doesn’t matter, Ramana said. “We had expected a gold but it’s not so easy to achieve it,” he said. He expressed confidence that Sindhu will play the next Olympics.
“It is significant that she has won a medal and the colour doesn’t really matter. I am positive that she will also play the next Olympics. We have to plan and win as many medals as we can win for the country at the next Olympics. I am confident about her as she has the hunger to play and she enjoys the game,” Ramana added.
While thanking coach Park Tae-Sang, the government, BAI and Suchitra Academy, Ramana also used the opportunity to drive home a point. “Girls are winning medals for the country. I am not criticising the male child, but only want to stress that girls should be given equal opportunities to realise their dreams,” he said.
Sindhu’s mother Vijaya, also a volleyball player, was delighted too. “I am very happy. We are very proud of her. I was a bit tense in the last match but my husband spoke to her before this match and she played very well,” she said and added “I’ll make her whatever she wants to eat after she comes back home.”
