After a disappointing end to her Paris Olympics 2024 campaign, PV Sindhu has made it clear that she is not going anywhere and will be back on the badminton court soon after a “small break’. Sindhu’s quest for a third consecutive Olympic medal came to an end with a 19-21, 14-21 defeat to China's He Bing Jiao in the women’s singles Round of 16 match on Thursday.
Sindhu had won silver and bronze in her last two Olympics and was the only female athlete from India to win multiple medals going into the Paris Olympics. That record has been since matched by Manu Bhaker.
Paris Olympics 2024: Day 7 LIVE Updates
After her exit from the Paris Olympics as her dream to become the first Indian athlete to win three individual medals for the country came crashing down, Sindhu took to Instagram to pen an emotional note in which she described her defeat to He Bing Jiao as one of the “hardest” for her illustrious career.
“Paris 2024: A Beautiful Journey but a Difficult Loss. This loss is possibly one of the hardest of my long career. It will take time to accept, but as life moves forward, I know I will come to terms with it,” she wrote.
She added that despite recurring injuries over the last two years the ace shuttler gave her best during the Olympics.
“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,” Sindhu wrote.
**Paris Olympics: News, schedule, medals tally and more**“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.”
Sindhu also announced that she will be taking a break before resuming her journey in a sport that she loves “so very much”.
“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.”