Rio Olympics silver-medalist PV Sindhu along with her coach P. Gopichand received a grand welcome on their arrival at Hyderabad airport today.
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Within hours of AP’s announcement of cash rewards for the player-coach duo, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao declared a cash reward of Rs 5 crore for Sindhu and Rs 1 crore for her coach, apparently in a gesture larger than that of his counter part in AP. “Mr Sachin Tendulkar will be presenting the auto to Sindhu”, said Punnaiah Choudary, BAI Secretary (Tournaments), who had accompanied the team in Rio.
The Andhra Pradesh government left no stone unturned to give Sindhu and her coach a memorable reception. She went down fighting and the entire country is proud of her after witnessing her fighting spirit.
Sindhu was welcomed by Telangana Folks dances and by the folks playing drums!
Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mohammed Mehmood Ali and his Andhra Pradesh counterpart N. Chinnarajappa and ministers from the two states presented bouquets.
An official stated that prize money of Rs. 50 lakh was also announced by the Madhya Pradesh government to Sindhu.
The interesting incident where AP CM turned badminton player and played the game for few minutes, occurred at Olympics Silver Medal victor PV Sindhu’s felicitation programme held in Vijayawada on Tuesday.
Standing in a specially decorated open-top double-decker bus along with her coach Pullela Gopichand, parents, sister Divya, and some ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Sindhu waved at the huge crowd. “It is also a great matter of pride for Telangana state as she hails from Hyderabad”, he said. The Telangana CM announced Rs 1 crore for Gopichand so that he can produce more world class players at his badminton academy in Hyderabad.
Sindhu achieved like no one before and became the first Indian woman to win a silver medal at Olympics.
Sindhu said she spoke to her parents in detail only late night Friday which was Saturday morning in India. That of a 21-year-old who likes ice cream and talking to friends on her mobile phone.
Gopichand also lauded Sindhu’s ability to rise up to the occasion and said, “The fact that at this big stage, when it needed the most, she performed, it is huge”.
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Ramana’s forefathers are said to be from West Godavari district.
