Indian badminton star PV Sindhu wants to take inspiration from her compatriot Saina Nehwal ahead of her maiden Olympics. As many as seven shuttlers from India have qualified for the Rio Olympics 2016.
Sindhu, 20, who won the Malaysia Masters earlier this year, joins Saina, Jwala Gutta, Ashwini Ponnappa, Manu Attri, Sumeeth Reddy and Kidambi Srikanth in the Rio Olympics, scheduled to start Aug. 5.
Saina has already participated in two Olympics in 2008 and 2012. The 26-year-old, who was recently awarded the Padma Bhushan, also won a bronze in the 2012 Olympics in London. "She has been an inspiration to not just me, but many players across the country. I think she did really well in the last Olympics," Sindhu told NDTV.
The draw for the women's singles badminton event at the 2016 Olympics is still not done, and if everything goes well and good with a sheer bit of luck, we may witness Sindhu and Saina clash in the final of the event. Even Sindhu hopes for the same.
"That (likelihood of facing Saina in Rio) is a possibility. We have an on-court rivalry, but otherwise we are friends," continued Sindhu. "We both will fight for ourselves. Maybe if we play each other (in the final) then it will be great as we might bring back two medals."
Sindhu also mentioned that she admired Saina's fighting spirit. "I haven't spoken to her [Saina] about this Olympics or the last Olympics. But then she has been winning medals and laurels for the country," Sindhu told The Times of India. "In her game, she has that fighting spirit and I think that's one point to learn from her. She has that fighting spirit always."
