India's badminton star and two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu expressed her disappointment after being eliminated from the women's singles Round of 16 at the Paris Olympics. In a heartfelt social media post, she shared her thoughts on the defeat. Despite the setback, Sindhu also revealed her future plans as she confirmed her continued involvement in badminton. However, she also emphasised the need for a well-deserved break before returning to the sport. This marks the first time Sindhu has returned from the Olympics without a medal, as the Rio silver and Tokyo bronze medalist was defeated by China's He Bingjiao in the pre-quarterfinals.
PV Sindhu reflects on Paris Olympic exit
"Paris 2024: A Beautiful Journey but a Difficult Loss. This loss is one of the hardest of my career. It will take time to accept, but as life moves forward, I know I will come to terms with it," Sindhu wrote in her post on X, formerly Twitter.
"The journey to Paris 2024 was a battle, marked by two years of injuries and long periods away from the game. Despite these challenges, standing here and representing my wonderful country at a third Olympics makes me feel truly blessed," her post added.
"I'm incredibly fortunate to compete at this level and, even more importantly, to inspire a generation. Your messages have been a tremendous source of comfort during this time. My team and I gave everything we had for Paris 2024, leaving it all on the court with no regrets.
"Regarding my future, I want to be clear: I will continue, albeit after a small break. My body, and more importantly, my mind need it. However, I plan to carefully evaluate the journey ahead, finding more joy in playing the sport I love so very much," Sindhu's post further read.
The Rio and Tokyo Olympic medalist, Sindhu, topped her group to advance to the knockout stage. However, her campaign ended abruptly with a defeat against He Bingjiao in the women's singles pre-quarterfinals. This marked the first time Sindhu returned from the Olympics without a medal.
Sindhu claimed gold at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022 but was sidelined shortly after due to a knee injury. She returned to competition in early 2023 but faced challenges maintaining consistency. Plagued by injuries in the lead-up to the Games, Sindhu carefully managed her tournament schedule. While the star shuttler hasn't ruled out competing in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, she will be 33 years old, an age when many top badminton players begin to decline.
MORE ON SPORTS TAK
