Gurugram, Two-time Olympic medal-winning Indian badminton ace P V Sindhu on Wednesday stressed on the need for aspiring athletes to have good education, warning that it is too “risky” to ignore academics and focus solely on a sporting career that can end with a single injury.
The former world champion made these remarks in a fireside conversation at DPS International, while speaking to educationist Devyani Jaipuria.
The Hyderabadi touched upon several aspects of her own journey to drive home the point, including the self-doubt that she battled before the 2016 Olympics after being laid low by a stress fracture of the left foot.
“I have been playing for so many years. At some point of time you have to retire, right? And that’s the truth. You can’t be playing sport 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,” she said, echoing a sentiment expressed by national coach Pullela Gopichand, who has urged parents of aspiring athletes to prioritise education.
“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. Sport is also important, but not that, you know, completely stop your studies,” she asserted.
The 30-year-old is on a break after being stranded in Dubai due to closure of air space for some days in the middle of the American and Israeli bombing of Iran.
She said sporting injuries can be hard to comeback from and that’s why she would urge budding athletes to always have academic backup.
“I might sound mean, maybe they might not understand now, but in the later stage in their life, they will understand that, yes, studies are also important. Because, you know, sport sometimes, it’s very risky where sometimes you have an injury and you never know how it goes.
“…your life might end, you might have a surgery…injuries…they don’t tell you and come, it just happens. At that point of time, you have to make sure that you are ready for everything in life,” she said.
She recalled the year 2015 when a stress fracture on her left foot had threatened to end her career and forced her out for six months, leaving her with very little elbow room before the 2016 Olympics. She went on to win a silver medal in that edition of the Games 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.
