PV Sindhu Family Tree

PV Sindhu - A Lifestory

Pusarla Venkata Sindhu, commonly known as PV Sindhu, is a celebrated Indian badminton player whose achievements have significantly contributed to the sport's popularity in India. Born on July 5, 1995, in Hyderabad, Telangana, to volleyball players P. V. Ramana and P. Vijaya, Sindhu's interest in badminton was sparked by Pullela Gopichand's All England Open Badminton Championship win in 2001. She began her training at the age of eight under the guidance of Mehboob Ali at the Indian Railway Institute of Signal Engineering and Telecommunications in Secunderabad. Later, she joined Pullela Gopichand's academy, where she honed her skills and developed a disciplined approach to the game.

Sindhu's career trajectory is marked by numerous milestones. She first gained international recognition as a teenager, winning medals at the 2009 SubJunior Asian Badminton Championships. Her breakthrough came in 2013 when she became the first Indian woman singles player to win a medal at the World Championships. This achievement was followed by a bronze medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and another bronze at the 2014 World Championships.

However, it was her silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics that catapulted her to national stardom. In a thrilling final against Carolina Marin, she showcased remarkable grit and determination, becoming the youngest Indian to win an Olympic medal. Continuing her impressive run, Sindhu secured a silver medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and the 2018 World Championships. In 2019, she etched her name in history by becoming the first Indian to win a gold medal at the BWF World Championships. More recently, she won a bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, becoming the first Indian woman to win two Olympic medals. Beyond her athletic achievements, Sindhu has been recognized with prestigious awards, including the Arjuna Award, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, Padma Shri, and Padma Bhushan, solidifying her status as a sporting icon in India.

Family and Early Years

Personal Details

🎂 Date of Birth
05 July 1995
📍 Place of Birth
Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh (now Telangana)
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family
Father: P. V. Ramana
Mother: P. Vijaya
Spouse: Venkata Datta Sai
🎓 Education
Sindhu completed her schooling at Auxilium High School, Hyderabad. She later pursued higher education at St. Ann’s College for Women, Hyderabad, successfully balancing academics with her demanding badminton training schedule.

Early Career

🏐 Sporting Background of Family
Both of Sindhu’s parents were national-level volleyball players. Her father, P. V. Ramana, represented India in volleyball and was part of the team that won the bronze medal at the 1986 Seoul Asian Games. In recognition of his contribution to the sport, he was awarded the Arjuna Award in 2000.
🏸 Introduction to Badminton
Despite her parents’ professional involvement in volleyball, Sindhu chose to pursue badminton after being inspired by Pullela Gopichand’s victory at the 2001 All England Open Badminton Championship. Motivated by his success, she began playing badminton at the age of eight.
🎯 Early Training and Coaching
Sindhu first learned the basics of badminton under coach Mehboob Ali at the badminton courts of the Indian Railway Institute of Signal Engineering and Telecommunications in Secunderabad. She later joined Pullela Gopichand’s Gopichand Badminton Academy, where her skills were further refined.
During this phase, she traveled nearly 56 kilometers daily to attend coaching camps, demonstrating exceptional discipline and commitment. Gopichand described her attitude and never-say-die spirit as the most striking features of her game.
🏆 Junior Career Achievements
After joining the Gopichand Badminton Academy, Sindhu achieved notable success at the junior level. In the under-10 category, she won the fifth Servo All India Ranking Championship (doubles) and the Ambuja Cement All India Ranking title (singles).
In the under-13 category, she secured the singles title at the Sub-Junior Championships in Pondicherry and won multiple doubles titles at the Krishna Khaitan All India Tournament, IOC All India Ranking, Sub-Junior Nationals, and the All India Ranking Tournament in Pune. She also won the under-14 team gold medal at the 51st National State Games of India.
🧑‍🏫 Advanced Coaching Phase
Sindhu later parted ways with Pullela Gopichand and began training under South Korean coach Park Tae-sang to further refine her international game. She is currently coached by Anup Sridhar and Lee Hyun-il, continuing her journey at the highest level of competitive badminton.

A Journey of Recognition

Career Journey

🌱 2009–2011: Early International Exposure
P. V. Sindhu entered the international badminton circuit at the young age of 14 in 2009. She announced her arrival by winning a bronze medal at the Sub-Junior Asian Badminton Championships held in Colombo. In 2010, she claimed a silver medal at the Iran Fajr International Challenge and reached the quarter-finals of the BWF World Junior Championships in Mexico.
Her breakthrough year came in 2011, when she won multiple international titles, including the Maldives International Challenge, Indonesia International Challenge, Swiss International, and the Commonwealth Youth Games. She also finished runner-up at the Dutch Open and won the India International, establishing herself as one of India’s most promising young players.
🌟 2012: Historic Junior Triumph
At just 16 years of age, Sindhu competed at the All England Open Championships as a qualifier. In July 2012, she created history by winning the Asian Junior Championships, defeating Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara to become India’s first Asian Junior Champion.
Later that year, she stunned Olympic champion Li Xuerui at the China Masters, reaching the semi-finals. Despite battling a knee injury, she finished runner-up at the Syed Modi India Grand Prix Gold, before opting out of the World Junior Championships to focus on recovery.
🏆 2013: World Championship Breakthrough
In 2013, Sindhu reached a career-best world ranking of 15 and won her first Grand Prix Gold title at the Malaysian Open. Her defining moment came at the World Championships, where she defeated top Chinese players, including Wang Yihan and Wang Shixian, to win a bronze medal.
She became only the second Indian woman after Prakash Padukone to medal in World Championship singles. For her achievements, she received the Arjuna Award and later won the Macau Open Grand Prix Gold.
🥉 2014: Consistency at the Global Level
Sindhu won her first Asian Championships bronze medal and secured another bronze at the Commonwealth Games. At the World Championships in Denmark, she made history by winning back-to-back bronze medals, becoming the first Indian to do so. She concluded the year by defending her Macau Open title.
⚔️ 2015: Superseries Rise and Olympic Qualification
In 2015, Sindhu reached the quarter-finals of the World Championships for the third consecutive time and made her maiden Superseries final at the Denmark Open. She won her third straight Macau Open title later that year.
Despite suffering a stress fracture that sidelined her for nearly six months, she successfully qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympics.
🥈 2016: Olympic Silver and Global Stardom
Sindhu began the year by winning the Malaysia Masters and captained Chennai Smashers to victory in the Premier Badminton League. At the Rio 2016 Olympics, she produced a sensational run to win the silver medal, becoming the first Indian woman and the youngest Indian to achieve an Olympic silver in badminton.
Post-Olympics, she won the China Open, finished runner-up at the Hong Kong Open, qualified for the Superseries Finals, and was named BWF Most Improved Player of the Year.
🥈 2017: World No. 2 and Epic World Final
In 2017, Sindhu won titles at the Syed Modi International and India Open, and reached a career-high world ranking of No. 2. At the World Championships in Glasgow, she reached the final, where she narrowly lost to Nozomi Okuhara in a historic 110-minute match, winning silver.
She later became the first Indian to win the Korea Open, qualified for the Superseries Finals, and finished runner-up after another strong campaign.
🌍 2018: World Tour Finals Champion
Sindhu won gold (team) and silver (singles) at the Commonwealth Games. She claimed silver medals at the World Championships and Asian Games, with the latter being India’s first-ever badminton silver at the event.
Her year peaked with a landmark victory at the BWF World Tour Finals, where she defeated Nozomi Okuhara to become the first Indian champion of the prestigious year-end tournament.
👑 2019–2020: World Champion
In 2019, Sindhu delivered one of the finest performances of her career at the World Championships, where she won gold, becoming the first Indian World Champion in badminton. She dominated the final against Okuhara in straight games.
She was later named BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year (2020) and became an ambassador for several global badminton initiatives.
🥉 2021: Second Olympic Medal
Sindhu bounced back strongly at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics (held in 2021). She won the bronze medal, becoming the first Indian woman and only the fourth player in women’s singles history to win two Olympic medals.
She also finished runner-up at the BWF World Tour Finals, adding another silver to her résumé.
🏅 2022–2023: Commonwealth Gold and Injury Challenges
Sindhu won titles at the Swiss Open, Singapore Open, and secured her maiden Commonwealth Games gold medal in women’s singles in 2022. However, a stress fracture ruled her out of the remainder of the season.
She returned in 2023, helping India win a bronze at the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships, though her season was affected by recurring injuries.
🔁 2024–2025: Leadership and Resilience
In 2024, Sindhu led India to its first-ever gold at the Badminton Asia Team Championships. She was named India’s flag bearer for the Paris 2024 Olympics, where she exited in the round of 16. She ended the year by winning her third Syed Modi International title.
In 2025, she was elected to the BWF Athletes’ Commission for the third time. Despite flashes of brilliance against top-ranked players, her season concluded early due to a foot injury.
🤝 Endorsements & Brand Associations
P. V. Sindhu has emerged as one of India’s most valuable sportspersons off the court as well, commanding some of the highest endorsement fees in the country. According to an Economic Times report published in March 2017, she ranked second only to Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli in terms of per-day earnings from brand endorsements. Sindhu reportedly charges between ₹1 crore and ₹1.25 crore for a single day of endorsement-related activities.
Over the years, she has partnered with several leading national and international brands. Her endorsement portfolio includes JBL, Bridgestone Tyres, Gatorade, Moov, Myntra, Flipkart, Nokia, Panasonic, Stayfree, Boost, APIS Himalaya, Ojasvita, and Bank of Baroda. Beyond commercial brands, she also serves as a brand ambassador for the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Vizag Steel, reflecting her stature as a national icon.
In February 2019, Sindhu signed a landmark four-year sponsorship deal worth ₹50 crore with Chinese sportswear brand Li-Ning, making it one of the biggest sponsorship agreements in the world of badminton. Out of this, approximately ₹40 crore was towards sponsorship, while the remaining amount covered equipment support. This marked her second association with Li-Ning, after an earlier stint during 2014–2015. Prior to that, and again in 2016, she was associated with Yonex under a high-value multi-year contract.
Continuing to expand her presence beyond sports, in May 2024, P. V. Sindhu stepped in as an investor and brand ambassador for the wellness brand Hoop, underlining her growing influence in the health and lifestyle space as well.

Achievements and Milestones

Here's a list of awards received by PV Sindhu:
🏆 National Civil & Sports Honors
Padma Bhushan – 2020
Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award – 2016
Padma Shri – 2015
Arjuna Award – 2013
🌍 National & International Recognitions
Forbes India W-Power – 2025
NDTV True Legend: Future of Young India (Sports) – 2022
Champions of Change (Telangana) – 2021
BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year – 2020
Times of India Sports Awards (TOISA) – Sportsperson of the Year – 2019
TV9 Nava Nakshatra Sanmanam – 2019
Forbes 30 Under 30: Entertainment & Sports – 2018
Indian Sports Honours – Sportswoman of the Year – 2017
BWF Most Improved Player of the Year – 2016
NDTV Indian of the Year (Sports) – 2014
FICCI Breakthrough Sportsperson of the Year – 2014
CNN-IBN Indian of the Year (Sports) – 2013

Additional Highlights

Contributions

🏸 Contribution to Indian Badminton
P. V. Sindhu has played a transformational role in elevating Indian badminton on the global stage. She became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic silver medal (2016) and the first Indian to become Badminton World Champion (2019), setting new benchmarks for the sport in India. Her consistency at the highest level helped establish India as a strong force in women’s singles badminton worldwide.
🇮🇳 Contribution to Indian Sports Legacy
Sindhu is one of India’s most decorated sportspersons, with two Olympic medals and multiple World Championship medals. Her achievements broke gender and sport-specific barriers, proving that Indian women athletes can dominate at the world level beyond cricket. She has inspired increased institutional support, sponsorship, and grassroots interest in badminton across the country.
👩‍🎓 Inspiration for Women & Youth
As a disciplined, self-made athlete, Sindhu has become a role model for young girls, encouraging participation in competitive sports. Her journey has helped challenge social stereotypes around women in professional athletics and motivated parents to support sports as a viable career option for their children.
🌍 Global Representation of India
Sindhu has consistently represented India with dignity and excellence at the Olympics, World Championships, Asian Games, and Commonwealth Games. Her sportsmanship, resilience, and professionalism have strengthened India’s image as a nation producing world-class athletes.
🧭 Leadership & Athlete Advocacy
Beyond competition, Sindhu has contributed to badminton governance and athlete welfare by taking on leadership and ambassadorial roles. She has actively voiced the concerns of players, promoted integrity in sport, and supported fair play initiatives at the international level.
🤝 Contribution Through Brand & Social Influence
Using her influence responsibly, Sindhu has promoted fitness, health, discipline, and balanced lifestyles through brand associations and public campaigns. She has also contributed to social causes by supporting initiatives related to wellness, nutrition, and youth empowerment.
🏆 Long-Term Sporting Impact
Sindhu’s career has redefined excellence and consistency in Indian badminton. Her success has paved the way for future champions, strengthened India’s badminton ecosystem, and ensured her place as one of the most influential sportspersons in Indian sporting history.

Recent Work

🏸 Recent Competitive Performance
In 2025, Sindhu continued to compete internationally, including a win over world-ranked players and progressing into later rounds at events such as the China Open Super 1000, where she overcame top opposition in the early rounds.
However, she withdrew from the remainder of the 2025 BWF Tour to focus on full recovery from a foot injury sustained earlier in the season, prioritising long-term fitness and preparation for future competitions.
🤝 Brand Partnerships and Endorsements
In January 2025, Sindhu signed a multi-year brand ambassador deal with PUMA India, marking a significant collaboration where the sportswear brand officially extended into badminton with her leading the initiative.
She featured prominently in PUMA’s “Go Wild” campaign, alongside personalities like actor Ibrahim Ali Khan, aimed at promoting running and broader sporting participation in India.
Sindhu also continues her association with other brands as a brand ambassador and investor—notably KiranaPro, an AI-powered quick commerce platform, where she backed the company in its seed round and will feature in campaigns, including during IPL 2025.
💼 Off-Court Roles and Advocacy
Beyond sports and endorsements, Sindhu has used her stature to support broader initiatives. She has participated in forums and sessions advocating for sports development—such as at the Telangana Rising Global Summit 2025, where she spoke about strengthening sports infrastructure and ecosystem growth.
Earlier in 2024, she was also associated with social causes, serving as a goodwill ambassador for Earth Hour India, promoting environmental awareness and collective action.

Discover the Legacy Behind the PV name

Discover the Legacy Behind the Sindhu Surname

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