Hyderabad: Complimenting ace badminton player PV Sindhu for clinching her maiden gold at the World Tour Finals Championship, Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Monday said that “consistency with performance is the specialty” of the Indian shuttler.
“I am really happy to have met PV Sindhu and her family members. She has created a history by her victory and getting the gold medal at World Championship at the recent match held at China,” Naidu told ANI after meeting Sindhu and her family here.
“She has brought name and fame to our country. So, I congratulate her on this stupendous victory, hard-work, discipline, dedication she is showing to the game. And in the determined manner in which she is playing the game and winning one after the another, creating record after record and then at this engage getting a world medal at a world level competition is really praise-worthy,” he added.
Terming the 23-year-old as a role model, the Vice President hopes that all youngsters will draw inspiration from her. “She just came to see me and take my blessings. She is happy that the Indian parliament has complimented her and her victory,” he added.
For the continued encouragement and support given to the shuttler, Naidu also heaped praise on her parents, Coach Pullela Gopichand and her mentors.
“I also compliment Sindhu’s parents for the continued encouragement and support they have given to her and then participating in sports. Gurus are mentors, always respected as per our culture. We have a teach-student tradition in our country so that tradition should be continued. I would also like to compliment Pullela Gopichand, who is also pride of our nation and also her other mentors who are instrumental in guiding, training and teaching her all the methods and techniques of the game as continuously mentoring is a rare great service they have done to the society and the country,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Vice President also reflected on the benefits of sporting activities and asked youngsters to persuade sport.
“Sporting activity should be part of everybody’s life particularly younger children should start at early and make it a habit to play one sport or other because that gives- one sporting spirit, two claim spirit, three competitive mentalities, fourth hard-work and above all it will take care of the health. A healthy body will always help to make a healthy mind and a healthy mind and a healthy body make a healthy person. And healthy person makes a healthy society and a healthy nation can become a wealthy nation, not vice-versa,” he said.
“Even if you are wealthy, if you don’t have healthy mind and body you cannot be happy. So, keeping that in mind I am of the opinion that sporting activity should be part of the school curriculum, children should be encouraged to play sports whatever their choice may be and parents should encourage them. Under school and college they must provide sporting facilities for the children to practice the game of their choice,” he concluded.
Sindhu clinched the gold at the World Tour Finals Championship after defeating Nozomi Okuhara of Japan 21-19, 21-17 in the summit showdown on December 16 in Guangzhou, China.
The shuttler, who is representing Hyderabad Hunters, defeated Spaniard and 7 Aces Pune’s Carolina Marin 11-15, 15-8, 15-13 in the opening game of the Premier Badminton League at the NSCI Stadium in Mumbai.
[source_without_link]ANI[/source_without_link]