The lesser known story behind PV Sindhu’s medals: How two former volleyball players raised one of India’s greatest shuttlers; 4 parenting lessons to learn |

Indian superstar shuttler PV Sindhu recently won the Japan Open Super 750 title. Before that, she won Olympic silver and bronze medals at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. Add to that, more medals from the Badminton World Championships and multiple international titles. Today, she is India’s most decorated badminton player and an inspiration to millions of young athletes dreaming of following in her footsteps.Although the success of her credit should rightfully be given to Sindhu but behind this long list of achievements lie the dedication and effort put in by her parents all throughout her career.

While Sindhu’s talent, relentless work ethic, and determination deserve every bit of the credit, another story deserves to be told alongside her medals. It is the story of two parents who quietly reshaped their own lives so their daughter could chase an extraordinary dream. From driving nearly 60 kilometres every day for training to putting careers on hold, studying her matches, and creating an environment where sport came first, PV Ramana and P. Vijaya built the foundation on which one of India’s greatest sporting careers would stand.

A champion raised by a champion father

Long before the world knew him as PV Sindhu’s father, PV Ramana had already carved out his own place in Indian sport. He grew up in Andhra Pradesh, lost his father young, and fought his way through financial struggles. While working with the Indian Railways in Secunderabad, the 6-foot-3 athlete built a name for himself as one of India’s finest volleyball players.He represented India at the 1984 Asian Junior Volleyball Championship, and a couple of years later, was part of the Indian squad that won bronze at the 1986 Asian Games. Years down the line, he’d receive the Arjuna Award for his contribution to the sport.But one of the biggest calls of his life had nothing to do with volleyball at all.

The father who chose the car over the coach’s chair

When Sindhu’s badminton journey began, Ramana already knew talent wasn’t going to be enough on its own. Every single day, father and daughter made the nearly 30-kilometre trip from their home in Marredpally to the badminton academy in Gachibowli and back again, twice a day, so training was never compromised.At one point, Ramana was offered the chance to coach the Indian volleyball team, an offer most former players would grab without a second thought. He said no. He knew exactly where his priority was.Even after Sindhu became one of the biggest names in world badminton, Ramana stayed deeply involved. He travelled with her to major tournaments whenever he could.Before her historic gold at the 2019 BWF World Championships, it was Ramana who pushed to bring in a strength and conditioning coach, after talking it over with her coaches. “It was necessary and there was no other alternative,” Ramana later explained the decision. It paid off. Sindhu went on to become India’s first badminton world champion.Looking back, Sindhu has often credited her father’s own sporting background for shaping her. “Parents are the most important part of an athlete’s success as they understand the psyche of a child better than others,” she said in an interview.

The mother who gave up her career so her daughter could build hers

Like her husband, P. Vijaya was also a volleyball player for the Indian Railways. The two met on the inter-Railway and national tournament circuit and married soon after the 1986 Asian Games.When Sindhu’s badminton career started demanding more time and attention, Vijaya took voluntary retirement from the Railways to focus entirely on her daughter. She became the steady presence every athlete needs- someone to lean on after a loss, and the one quietly making sure Sindhu’s routine, diet, and emotional state all stayed on track.Vijaya has spoken openly about how different things were for girls when she was growing up. “When I was growing up, girls weren’t even allowed to go out and play. Most of the time, getting permission to play was the hardest part,” she had told News18.She remembers the neighbours questioning why a girl would rather play than study. “The neighbours would say, ‘Why is she going out and playing when she should study?'” So watching her own daughter go on to become a world champion meant something bigger than a medal.For Sindhu, her mother’s role is impossible to sum up in numbers. After winning the 2019 World Championships, she dedicated the title to her. “My mother’s role cannot be quantified and measured,” Sindhu told Sportstar. “Simply put, if not for her, I couldn’t have had this kind of a career.”

What parents can learn from the Sindhu family

This isn’t really a story about raising a champion. It’s a story about the kind of parenting that lets a child find out what they’re capable of. Here’s what stands out.Support the dream, don’t control itBoth parents understood the difference between backing their daughter and running her career for her. They sacrificed enormously. The drives, the career break, the years of uncertainty but all of it went toward creating opportunity, not adding pressure. They built consistency around her training and left the technical coaching to the coaches. Sindhu was allowed to own her sport, not just perform it.Just show up, again and againWhether it was the daily drives, sitting through practice, travelling for tournaments, or analysing match footage together later, Ramana’s presence said one thing again and again: your dream matters to us. Kids remember that kind of consistency far more than any grand gesture.Emotional support mattersEvery athlete goes through setbacks, injuries, losses, moments where they doubt themselves. Vijaya’s role- comforting, reassuring, quietly holding the family together, mattered just as much as any training session Sindhu ever put in. A parent who listens and helps rebuild confidence can be as valuable as a coach.Believe longer, not just push harderA lot of kids give up on hard goals simply because the adults around them stop believing first. Sindhu’s parents kept believing through years of early mornings, exhausting schedules, and results that weren’t guaranteed.Not every child is going to become an Olympic medalist. But every child benefits from parents who stay patient through the slow stretches, value effort as much as results, and build a home where dreams are taken seriously.Behind every medal, there’s usually a story that never makes it to the podium. In PV Sindhu’s case, it starts with two former volleyball players who quietly decided their daughter’s dream mattered more than their own. And in doing that, they proved that some of the biggest wins in parenting happen long before the world ever starts clapping.