P. V. Sindhu facts for kids

Quick facts for kids P. V. Sindhu
Sindhu in August 2016
Personal information
Birth name	Pusarla Venkata Sindhu
Born	(1995-07-05) 5 July 1995 (age 30) Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India
Height	1.79 m
Weight	65 kg
Country	India
Years active	2011–present
Handedness	Right
Women's singles
Highest Ranking	2 (1 April 2017)
Current Ranking	16 (8 July 2025)
Medal record Women's badminton Representing  India Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 0 1 1 World Championships 1 2 2 Uber Cup 0 0 2 Commonwealth Games 2 2 1 Asian Games 0 1 1 Asian Championships 0 0 2 Asian Team Championships 1 0 1 South Asian Games 1 1 0 Commonwealth Youth Games 1 0 0 Asian Junior Championships 1 0 2 Olympic Games Silver 2016 Rio de Janeiro Women's singles Bronze 2020 Tokyo Women's singles World Championships Gold 2019 Basel Women's singles Silver 2017 Glasgow Women's singles Silver 2018 Nanjing Women's singles Bronze 2013 Guangzhou Women's singles Bronze 2014 Copenhagen Women's singles Uber Cup Bronze 2014 New Delhi Women's team Bronze 2016 Kunshan Women's team Commonwealth Games Gold 2018 Gold Coast Mixed team Gold 2022 Birmingham Women's singles Silver 2018 Gold Coast Women's singles Silver 2022 Birmingham Mixed team Bronze 2014 Glasgow Women's singles Asian Games Silver 2018 Jakarta Women's singles Bronze 2014 Incheon Women's team Asian Championships Bronze 2014 Gimcheon Women's singles Bronze 2022 Manila Women's singles Asian Mixed Team Championships Bronze 2023 Dubai Mixed team Asian Team Championships Gold 2024 Selangor Women's team South Asian Games Gold 2016 Guwahati and Shillong Women's team Silver 2016 Guwahati and Shillong Women's singles Commonwealth Youth Games Gold 2011 Douglas Girls' singles Asian Junior Championships Gold 2012 Gimcheon Girls' singles Bronze 2011 Lucknow Girls' singles Bronze 2011 Lucknow Mixed team

Pusarla Venkata Sindhu, known as P. V. Sindhu, is a famous Indian badminton player. She was born on July 5, 1995. Many people consider her one of India's best athletes.

Sindhu has won many medals in big tournaments. These include the Olympic Games, the World Championships, and the World Tour. She is the first and only Indian to become a badminton world champion. She is also only the second Indian person to win two medals at the Olympic Games. In April 2017, she reached her highest world ranking, becoming No. 2.

Sindhu entered the top 20 in world rankings in September 2012 when she was just 17. She has won five medals at the BWF World Championships. She is only the second woman to win five or more singles medals there. She played for India at the 2016 Rio Olympics. There, she became the first Indian badminton player to reach an Olympic final. She won a silver medal after losing to Spain's Carolina Marín. She played in her second Olympics at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She won a bronze medal, becoming the first Indian woman to win two Olympic medals.

Sindhu won her first big title at the 2016 China Open. She then reached four more finals in 2017. She won titles in South Korea and India. She also won the 2018 BWF World Tour Finals. She is the only Indian player to win this year-end championship. She is also the current Commonwealth Games champion. She has won three singles medals in a row at the Commonwealth Games. She also won a silver medal at the Asian Games and two bronze medals at the Uber Cup.

Sindhu has been on the Forbes list of Highest-Paid Female Athletes many times. This was in 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024. She has received top sports awards in India. These include the Khel Ratna Award and the Arjuna Award. She also received the Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri, which are high civilian awards.

Early Life and Training

P. V. Sindhu was born in Hyderabad, India, on July 5, 1995. Her parents, P. V. Ramana and P. Vijaya, are from Andhra Pradesh. Sindhu lives in Hyderabad. She went to Auxilium High School and St. Ann's College for Women in Hyderabad.

Both of her parents were national volleyball players. Her father, Ramana, won a bronze medal with the Indian volleyball team in 1986. He received the Arjuna Award for his sports achievements. Even though her parents played volleyball, Sindhu chose badminton. She was inspired by Pullela Gopichand, a famous badminton champion.

Sindhu started playing badminton when she was eight years old. She learned the basics from Mehboob Ali. Then, she joined Pullela Gopichand's Gopichand Badminton Academy. Gopichand said that Sindhu's best qualities are her positive attitude and her never-give-up spirit.

After joining the academy, Sindhu won many titles. She won championships in the under-10 and under-13 age groups. She also won a gold medal with the under-14 team at the National State Games. Later, she trained with South Korean coach Park Tae-sang. Currently, her coaches are Anup Sridhar and Lee Hyun-il.

Personal Life and Work

Sindhu got engaged to businessman Venkata Datta Sai in December 2024. They were married on December 22, 2024.

Sindhu has worked for Bharat Petroleum since July 2013. She started as an assistant sports manager. After winning her silver medal at the Rio Olympics, she was promoted to deputy sports manager. She also became the first brand ambassador for Bridgestone India. In July 2017, the Andhra Pradesh government appointed her as a Deputy Collector. She took on this role in August.

Career Highlights

Early International Success (2009–2011)

Sindhu started playing internationally at 14 in 2009. She won a bronze medal at the 2009 Sub-Junior Asian Badminton Championships. In 2010, she won a silver medal at the Iran Fajr International. She reached the quarter-finals of the 2010 BWF World Junior Championships.

In 2011, she won the Maldives International Challenge and the Indonesia International Challenge. She also won the Commonwealth Youth Games. She was a finalist at the Dutch Open and won the Swiss International. She later won the India International badminton event.

Becoming a Junior Champion (2012)

In 2012, at 16, Sindhu played in the All England Open Championships. She reached the main part of the tournament. On July 7, 2012, she won the Asian Junior Championships. She was the first Indian to win this title.

At the China Masters tournament, she surprised everyone by beating Olympic gold medalist Li Xuerui. She reached the semi-finals there. She also finished second at the Syed Modi India Grand Prix Gold event.

First World Championship Medal (2013)

In 2013, Sindhu reached her highest ranking of 15. She won her first Grand Prix Gold title at the Malaysian Grand Prix Gold. She also played in the 2013 World Championships. She beat the defending champion, Wang Yihan, and another top Chinese player, Wang Shixian. She won a bronze medal, becoming only the second Indian to win a medal in singles at the World Championships.

The Government of India gave Sindhu the Arjuna Award for her achievements. She was the captain of the Awadhe Warriors team in the 2013 Indian Badminton League. Her team reached the final. She also won the Macau Open Grand Prix Gold title.

Two World Championship Medals (2014)

In 2014, Sindhu reached the final of the India Open Grand Prix Gold. She won a bronze medal at the Asian Championships. At the 2014 Commonwealth Games, she won a bronze medal in women's singles.

At the 2014 World Championships, Sindhu made history. She became the first Indian to win two medals in a row at the World Championships, winning another bronze. She also defended her Macau Open title at the end of the year.

Reaching Superseries Final (2015)

In 2015, Sindhu almost won another medal at the Asian Championships. She reached the quarter-finals of the 2015 World Championships. In October, she reached her first big Superseries final at the Denmark Open. She beat three seeded players to get there. In November, she won her third straight Macau Open title.

Sindhu had a foot injury in 2015 that kept her from playing for about six months. But she still managed to qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Olympic Silver Medalist (2016)

In January 2016, Sindhu won the Malaysia Masters title. She was the captain of the Chennai Smashers team in the 2016 Premier Badminton League. Her team won the tournament.

At the Rio Olympic Games, Sindhu won a silver medal. She became India's youngest individual Olympic medalist and the first Indian woman to win an Olympic silver in badminton. This was a huge moment for Indian sports.

After the Olympics, Sindhu won the China Open. She was the second Indian and third non-Chinese woman to win this event. She also finished second at the Hong Kong Open. She qualified for the Superseries Finals for the first time. She was named the BWF Most Improved Player of the Year for her great performance in 2016.

World Championship Silver (2017)

Sindhu won the Syed Modi International and the India Open Superseries in 2017. In April 2017, she reached her highest world ranking of number 2. At the 2017 World Championships, she won a silver medal. Her final match against Nozomi Okuhara was very exciting and lasted 110 minutes. Many people call it one of the best women's singles matches ever.

Sindhu then beat Okuhara to win the Korea Open, becoming the first Indian to do so. She also became a Deputy Collector in the Government of Andhra Pradesh. She reached the final of the Hongkong Open again. She qualified for the Superseries Finals and finished as the runner-up.

World Tour Finals Champion (2018)

In 2018, Sindhu reached the semi-finals of the All England Open Championships, her best performance there. At the 2018 Commonwealth Games, she won a gold medal with the mixed team and a silver medal in singles. She also reached the final of the Thailand Open.

Sindhu won her second straight World Championship silver medal at the 2018 BWF World Championships. This was her fourth medal at the World Championships overall. At the 2018 Asian Games, she won a historic first silver medal for India in badminton.

At the end of 2018, Sindhu qualified for the 2018 BWF World Tour Finals. She won the title, becoming the only Indian player to win this year-end championship.

World Champion (2019–2020)

Sindhu inside the cockpit of HAL Tejas at Yelahanka AFS, Bangalore

In 2019, Sindhu reached her first final of the season at the Indonesia Open. At the 2019 World Championships, she made history. She won the gold medal, becoming the first Indian to win gold at the World Championships. She played a nearly perfect match in the final.

Even though her ranking was lower, Sindhu got to play in the 2019 BWF World Tour Finals because she was the World Champion. She was named the BBC Indian Sportswoman of Year in March 2020. In April, she became an ambassador for the BWF's "I am Badminton" campaign, which promotes fair play.

Olympic Bronze Medal (2021)

In 2021, Sindhu reached the final of the 2021 Swiss Open. She also reached the semi-finals of the All England Open. In May, she became an ambassador for the International Olympic Committee's 'Believe in Sport' campaign.

At the Tokyo Olympic Games, Sindhu won a bronze medal. She became the first Indian woman and only the fourth player in women's singles badminton to win two medals at two Olympic games in a row. She reached the quarter-finals of the 2021 BWF World Championships as the defending champion. At the end of 2021, she qualified for the 2021 BWF World Tour Finals and won a second silver medal there.

Commonwealth Gold and Injury (2022–2023)

In 2022, Sindhu won the Syed Modi International for the second time. She also won the title at the 2022 Swiss Open. At the Asian Championships, she won a bronze medal. She then won the Singapore Open title.

At the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Sindhu won her first gold medal in women's singles. She became only the second women's singles player to win a full set of medals at the Commonwealth Games. India also won a silver medal in the mixed team event. However, she got a foot injury during the Games. This injury kept her from playing in other tournaments for the rest of the year.

Sindhu returned from her injury in 2023. In February, she helped the Indian team win a bronze medal at the 2023 Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships. This was India's first medal at this tournament. She reached her first final of the season at the 2023 Spain Masters. Her season was cut short again in October due to a knee injury.

Return to Form (2024)

Sindhu returned from her injury in February 2024. She led the Indian women's team to a gold medal at the 2024 Badminton Asia Team Championships. This was India's first gold medal in this event. She reached her first individual final of the season at the 2024 Malaysia Masters.

On July 8, 2024, the Indian Olympic Committee chose her and Sharath Kamal to be the flag bearers for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. At the 2024 Olympics in Paris, Sindhu won her group games. However, she lost in the round of 16. At the end of 2024, Sindhu won the 2024 Syed Modi International title. This was her third title at this tournament, making her the most successful player there.

Endorsements and Awards

Sindhu is a very popular athlete for endorsements. In March 2017, a report said she earned a lot from brand deals. She has deals with companies like JBL, Bridgestone Tyres, Gatorade, Myntra, Flipkart, Nokia, and Panasonic. She also supports Stayfree, Boost, APIS Himalaya honey, Ojasvita, and the Bank of Baroda. She is also a brand ambassador for the Central Reserve Police Force and Vizag Steel.

In February 2019, Sindhu signed a big four-year deal with Chinese sports brand Li Ning. This was one of the biggest deals in badminton.

National Awards

• Arjuna Award (2013)
• Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian award (2015)
• Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna, India's highest sports honor (2016)
• Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian award (2020)

Other Recognition

• CNN-IBN Indian of the Year (Sports) 2013
• FICCI Breakthrough Sportsperson of the Year 2014
• NDTV Indian of the Year (Sports) 2014
• BWF Most Improved Player of the Year 2016
• Indian Sports Honours Sportswoman of the Year 2017
• Forbes 30 Under 30: Entertainment & Sports 2018
• BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year 2020
• Champions of Change (Telangana) 2021
• NDTV True Legend: Future of Young India (Sports) 2022

Many rewards were given to Sindhu for her Olympic medals and World Championship gold. These included money from different governments and organizations. She also received cars from famous people like Sachin Tendulkar and Anand Mahindra.

Achievements

Olympic Games

Women's singles

Year	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Ref
2016	Riocentro – Pavilion 4, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	Carolina Marín	21–19, 12–21, 15–21	Silver
2020	Musashino Forest Sport Plaza, Tokyo, Japan	He Bingjiao	21–13, 21–15	Bronze

World Championships

Women's singles

Year	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Ref
2013	Tianhe Stadium, Guangzhou, China	Ratchanok Intanon	10–21, 13–21	Bronze
2014	Ballerup Super Arena, Copenhagen, Denmark	Carolina Marín	17–21, 15–21	Bronze
2017	Emirates Arena, Glasgow, Scotland	Nozomi Okuhara	19–21, 22–20, 20–22	Silver
2018	Nanjing Youth Olympic Sports Park, Nanjing, China	Carolina Marín	19–21, 10–21	Silver
2019	St. Jakobshalle, Basel, Switzerland	Nozomi Okuhara	21–7, 21–7	Gold

Commonwealth Games

Women's singles

Year	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Ref
2014	Emirates Arena, Glasgow, Scotland	Tee Jing Yi	23–21, 21–9	Bronze
2018	Carrara Sports and Leisure Centre, Gold Coast, Australia	Saina Nehwal	18–21, 21–23	Silver
2022	National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, England	Michelle Li	21–15, 21–13	Gold

Asian Games

Women's singles

Year	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Ref
2018	Istora Gelora Bung Karno, Jakarta, Indonesia	Tai Tzu-ying	13–21, 16–21	Silver

Asian Championships

Women's singles

Year	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Ref
2014	Gimcheon Indoor Stadium, Gimcheon, South Korea	Wang Shixian	21–15, 20–22, 12–21	Bronze
2022	Muntinlupa Sports Complex, Metro Manila, Philippines	Akane Yamaguchi	21–13, 19–21, 16–21	Bronze

South Asian Games

Women's singles

Year	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Ref
2016	Multipurpose Hall SAI–SAG Centre, Shillong, India	Gadde Ruthvika Shivani	11–21, 20–22	Silver

Commonwealth Youth Games

Girls' singles

Year	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Ref
2011	National Sports Centre, Douglas, Isle of Man	Soniia Cheah Su Ya	22–20, 21–8	Gold

Asian Junior Championships

Girls' Singles

Year	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Ref
2011	Babu Banarasi Das Indoor Stadium, Lucknow, India	Sun Yu	21–13, 12–21, 10–21	Bronze
2012	Gimcheon Indoor Stadium, Gimcheon, South Korea	Nozomi Okuhara	18–21, 21–17, 22–20	Gold

Career Overview

* Statistics were last updated on January 6, 2024.

Images for kids

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  Sindhu in August 2016

• 

  Sindhu inside the cockpit of HAL Tejas at Yelahanka AFS, Bangalore

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  Sindhu being awarded Padma Bhushan, c. 2021

See also

In Spanish: Pusarla Sindhu para niños

• Badminton in India
• India national badminton team
• List of Indian sportswomen