Breaking barriers
The frequency with which Indian sportspersons, specially women, are breaking unseen barriers that once seemed impenetrable to us is most encouraging. P.V. Sindhu, known so far as Saina Nehwal’s “sparring” partner, has just achieved a breakthrough with her win in the Malaysian Grand Prix — joining the elite club of Indian sports stars who can hold their own against the best in the world. It’s not just in badminton that Indians have broken barriers of late. Major milestones have also been reached in chess, golf, squash and even boxing. These feats can be attributed to a greater sporting ethos in the new millennium. The government has sensibly stepped in to make such achievements more valuable not simply in monetary rewards, but by providing systematic training in many disciplines. Talented sportspeople who earlier had nowhere to turn to hone their skills now find greater opportunities to train and compete at home and abroad.
Sindhu’s genes perhaps helped: her father was a reputed volleyball player. Also, she was top seed at the Grand Prix after sterling performances earlier against the world’s best, like China’s Li Xuerui and Wang Shixian. Saina had shown the way by being extremely competitive at the highest levels: her iconic presence has paved the way for more youngsters. If Indian sport is looking up like never before, it’s a tribute to the exciting talent abounding across the country.
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