'It was a Silver, a shining symbol of my dedication...': PV Sindhu reminisces about her maiden Olympic medal from Rio 2016

New Delhi: Going through one of the most demanding phases in her professional journey, ace Indian shuttler PV Sindhu reflected on the profound changes she has encountered over the past seven years after her historic silver medal win at 2016 Rio Olympics.

Looking back to August 20, 2016, Sindhu recollected her paramount victory, when she captured a silver medal at the Rio Olympics, engaging in an unforgettable showdown against Spain's Carolina Marin in a women's singles final that remains etched in memory.

Certainly, winning her maiden Olympic medal stood as a momentous crossroads in Sindhu's journey; she later went on to become India’s first world champion in 2019. This accomplishment acted as the trigger for a series of ensuing triumphs, a successful streak of securing multiple medals in esteemed competitions like the World Championships, Asian Games, and the Commonwealth Games.

"Seven years ago, I embarked on a journey that would forever change my life. Looking back, it's hard to believe that it's been seven long years since that momentous day when I proudly won my first Olympic medal in Rio. It was a Silver, a shining symbol of my dedication, hard work, and the unwavering support of my coaches, teammates, and fans.," Sindhu wrote in a post on social media platform 'X', formerly twitter on Sunday.

In the final at Rio, the then-just 21-year-old Sindhu had a one game lead after taking the opening game. But Marin came back strongly from one game down and the Indian eventually succumbed with a score of 21-19, 12-21, 15-21 to the Spaniard in the intensely competitive match.

"One of the most remarkable chapters of this journey has been the intense rivalry on the court, especially the battles against Carolina. The journey to the final was a testament to the grit and determination that both of us brought to the game. The 3-set marathon final was nothing short of extraordinary, a display of skill, perseverance, and sportsmanship," she added.

The 28-year-old has five world championships medals to her name, including two bronze (2013, 2014) two silver medals (2017, 2018) and a gold medal (2019) at the World Championships. She also won a silver at the 2018 Asian Games, a bronze at Tokyo Olympics and a Commonwealth Games gold in 2022.

However, things haven't gone her way this season as she endured a poor season so far and failed to win a single title on the BWF World Tour. Since making her comeback after a long injury lay-off following the gold medal win at the Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham, the ace Indian has struggled to find consistency.

A series of early exits also saw her slip out of the top 10 in the world rankings for the first since November 2016.

"Today, as I stand at this juncture, I'm not just celebrating the medals and the wins. I'm celebrating the spirit of resilience, the pursuit of excellence, and the courage to chase dreams. Here's to the seven years that have been a mix of highs and lows, challenges and victories, but above all, a testament to the power of perseverance!!!" she concluded.

Sitting at the 15th rank presently, Sindhu will rely on her perseverance once more as she sets out to conquer challenges in her world championships 2023 campaign at Copenhagen, Denmark.

Sindhu got a first round and she will campaign in the second round where she faces the winner of the clash between Japan's Nozomi Okuhara and Vietnam's Thuy Linh Nguyen.