India Waiting With Arms Wide Open For PV Sindhu

When PV Sindhu won a gold medal at the 2012 Asian junior badminton championships, her cricketing hero Sachin Tendulkar presented her with a car.

One can only guess the reception the 21-year-old shuttler will receive when she returns into the arms of 1.3 billion Indians after becoming the country's most successful female Olympian with her silver-medal performance in Rio.

Sindhu got a taste of what her life will be from now on when she was pulled and prodded as she made her way through a throng of reporters desperate to hang on to every word coming out of her mouth.

"I'm really, really happy because my ultimate goal was to get a medal at the Olympics," she said as she clung on to the silver medal around her neck.

"I thought it would be a gold but never mind, it's still a silver. I never thought I would make it to here... overall I am happy," she added.

For most of her career Sindhu has largely remained in the shadow of former world number one Saina Nehwal.

In fact Sindhu was lost in the crowd as a record 119 athletes were sent to Rio with high expectations of topping India's haul of six medals at the 2012 London Games.

Along with Saina, who won a bronze four years ago, medals were expected from 2008 shooting gold medallist Abhinav Bindra, mixed doubles tennis pair Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna, pistol shooter Jitu Rai, boxer Vikash Krishan and shooter and 2012 silver medallist Gagan Narang to name just a few.

With five days to go till the closing ceremony, however, that goal seemed way off target.

It prompted novelist Shobhaa De to tweet: "Goal of Team India at the Olympics: Go to Rio. Take selfies. Come back empty handed. What a waste of money and opportunity."

Freestyle wrestler Sakshi Malik finally ended the barren run on Wednesday with her bronze before Sindhu, who is mentored by 2001 All England Badminton champion Pullela Gopichand, doubled the medals tally on Friday.

"I am the first Indian to get a silver medal at these Olympics so that's great to hear and I'm really very proud of my country... This medal was important to inspire Indians as there are many players coming up who in the future will succeed," Sindhu said.