At the Badminton World Championships 2017, PV Sindhu bowed out in a 50-minute slugfest to Nozomi Okuhara of Japan. The badminton ace, currently world no 4 in the BWF World Ranking, had earlier become the first Indian woman to win an Olympic silver medal, at the 2016 Summer Olympics. We got the star on the sidelines of the championship for a candid chat -
Give us a glimpse of your daily routine.
I wake up at 4.15 am. I have a schedule from 4.15 am to 6.30 am. Practice begins from 8 am to noon. Training from 4 pm to 8 pm. While I’m not practising, I sleep, watch TV and movies. My trainers ensure my routine includes weight training, running, endurance workouts, agility training, speed workouts and multi-shuttle practice.
Who are your favourite movie stars?
Mahesh Babu and Prabhas in Tollywood. In Bollywood, it is Ranbir Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone.
If there was a biopic being made on your life, who would you choose to play your character?
Deepika Padukone. She can do justice as she knows the sport. I haven’t thought of the biopic though.
Diet vs delicious food?
No burgers or pizzas for me, as these foods clash with my stamina build-up. However, I’m allowed to cheat once a month, which is when I indulge in biryani from street-side eateries. On other days, I follow a non-spicy, high protein diet.
How much time do you spend on social media?
The only online space you will find me on is Instagram. Though I have a Twitter account, I usually retweet more than I tweet. There are times when I’m so busy that I can’t answer my phone. In such cases, my mother acts as a coordinator.
Any favourite hashtags?
#Happyme #BelieveInYourSelf #Jovial #BeYourself #Trustyourself, #LongWayToGo, #KeepWorkingHard