The world sees the medal, but not the 4 AM alarms: PV Sindhu

Indian badminton icon PV Sindhu recently offered a powerful and emotional reflection on the unseen struggles behind her Olympic journey during a convocation address at FLAME University in Pune.

Addressing the graduating class, the two-time Olympic medalist emphasised that the public often sees only the accolades, not the sacrifices behind them.

“The world sees the medal, but they do not see the 4 AM alarms, the tears, the losses, and the days you show up when you do not want to. At the Olympics, you do not just fight for a podium. You fight for every invisible battle you have won to get there,” Sindhu said, capturing the essence of her relentless pursuit of excellence.

Sindhu’s historic achievements include a silver medal in women’s singles at the 2016 Rio Olympics, followed by a bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, making her the first Indian woman to secure two Olympic medals.

Opening up about the emotional and physical toll of professional sport, Sindhu added, “In sport, sometimes you do not just show up after failure. Sometimes you show up while literally breaking. And that is where champions are built.”

She didn’t shy away from speaking about failure either. Sharing her perspective with the young graduates, she said, “If you want to do something big in life, you will have to fail for it. Repeatedly. Publicly. Sometimes, even hilariously.”

Sindhu’s speech struck a deeply personal note as she revealed her emotional connection to the university — her husband, businessman Venkata Datta Sai, is an alumnus of FLAME. “This was not just a speech for me, it was personal. My husband studied here, and FLAME has shown up in so many moments of my life. Today felt like a beautiful full-circle moment, finally attending a FLAME graduation and sharing the lessons I have learned from podiums, heartbreaks, and relentless early mornings,” she said.

Sindhu is preparing for the upcoming Malaysia Masters, set to begin Tuesday at the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil.