Sportsperson of the Year: P V Sindhu

In September 2012, a teen from Hyderabad stunned reigning Olympic Champion and World No 1 Li Xuerui in the China Super Series, breaking into the top 20 of the Badminton World Federation rankings. There has been no looking back for PV Sindhu since. In 2013, she notched up one impressive victory after another, winning the Malaysian Open in May and then storming into the semi-finals of the World Championship, where she became the first Indian to win a medal since Prakash Padukone. Only 18, Sindhu already has an Arjuna Award for her contribution to sports. Praised for her skill, stamina and ability, Sindhu often credits her success to her training at the Pullela Gopichand Academy.