PV Sindhu on Padma Bhushan: This is one of the most precious moments of my life

A lot has happened in PV Sindhu's life since her Padma Bhushan award was announced in January 2020. For one, she had won another Olympic medal in addition to her 2016 silver. The award ceremony, which was to be held in March last year, was postponed due to the pandemic. On Monday, almost 20 months after the initial announcement, Sindhu finally received the award from President Kovind at the Rashtrapati Bhavan."This award was announced early last year and I am very happy that I finally have it in my hands," she tells us, hours after the award ceremony. Calling it a "great moment", Sindhu adds, "I am at a loss for words. This is one of the most precious moments of my life. Getting an honour like this definitely motivates and encourages an athlete to perform even better and achieve a lot more."
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It isn't the first national recognition for the former World Champion. She has earlier won the Arjuna Award, the Khel Ratna and the Padma Shri. But Sindhu refuses to pit one honour against the other, saying she can't choose which is more special. "This award means a lot. It's a special one for me," she says, "Arjuna Award was special because it was the first such award. Then the Khel Ratna and Padma Shri too. Each award is special so one can’t choose. They all make you feel honoured."

At 26, Sindhu is one of the youngest recipients of the Padma Bhushan – the country's third-highest civilian honour. And for good reason. With two Olympic medals and five World Championship medals and a host of other titles, she is one of India's most successful athletes ever. Having achieved so much in such a short span of time, does she ever get complacent? She replies in the negative, adding, "In fact, it motivates me to work even harder. In the past too, these awards have only motivated me to do better. It’s both an aspiration and inspiration for me."