Ace shuttler PV Sindhu returned to India to a warm welcome on Tuesday, two days after she became the first Indian woman to win two individual medals at the Olympics, having added to her silver in Rio 2016. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju told her coach Park Tae-Sang, a South Korean, "You've become a hero in India."
"Welcome home India's pride, double Olympic medalist. @Pvsindhu1. India's proud daughter is back from Tokyo with an Olympic medal. She paid a courtesy visit to me. I thanked her coach Mr Park, her parents, SAI and BAI for providing support in making her a champion.. .(sic)," Kiren Rijiju, former Sports Minister, tweeted.
In another tweet, he posted a video where he is heard talking to PV Sindhu and thanking her coach. "Thank you so much for the great support. You have also become a hero. Every Indian knows you," Mr Rijiju tells Park Tae-Sang as he jokes with both of them.
Indian women reigning at the Olympics is a "proud moment for everyone", PV Sindhu said on Tuesday, shortly after her return. "It is definitely a proud moment for everyone, I wish them all the very best. Definitely, Indian sportswomen are doing very well and I also hope many more medals come," she told NDTV.
After stunning Australia 2-1 on Monday, Indian women's hockey team will today take on Argentina in semi-finals. About a week ago, Mirabai Chanu opened India's account by winning a silver. The 21-year-old won the weightlifting medal in the 49kg category.
After her painful semifinal loss to world number one Tai Tzu Ying, PV Sindhu on Sunday beat world number nine He Bing Jiao of China in the bronze play-off.
While speaking to NDTV on Monday, her coach revealed how he calmed the world champion on the badminton court. "In important moments when she gets a point and the pressure is very high, the next shot or rally, it's very easy to make mistakes," he said.
"So in important moments I tell her to calm down," he said. PV Sindhu promptly intervened to remind him that he says "aaram se" - the Hindi for 'take it easy".
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will welcome the Olympics Contingent as special guests this Independence Day.
