'Intense' Sindhu has a fun side too: Gopichand

We all have seen Indian shuttler PV Sindhu playing with intense passion and concentration on the badminton court. Whether it was in the Rio Olympic final against Carolina Marin or the World Championships summit showdown against Nozomi Okuhara, one thing which was noticeable in both the matches was the intensity and the never giving-up attitude with which she played.

On both the occasions, she was found at the losing side, but she won the hearts of all the Indians.

And it can be assumed that outside the court as well, Sindhu is as intense as she is while playing against her opponents.

However, that's not the case. She has a fun element to her nature as well.

"As a person she (Sindhu) is very friendly, who loves people, who loves to meet people and I think that element really has to come out. She is one of those persons who cannot be intense all the time. I really love the fact that she is built that way. It's a great personality to have," reveals her coach and former badminton star Pullela Gopichand.

"She is somebody who takes life as it comes. There are moments of disappoint, but she also moves on very quickly," he adds.

The national badminton coach further says that they both share a very cordial and friendly relationship, which has been built over time.

"I have known her for a very long time. So, it's kind of a relationship which is built over time. There's a lot of discipline in many ways, in certain aspects of life, game and practice. But there's also lot of fun element to it," he says.

22-year-old Sindhu, on this Teachers Day, came together with Gatorade India to co-produce for the first time, the impactful # IHateMyTeacher digital film, dedicated to his mentor Gopichand.

Meanwhile, the Hyderabad-born player also heaped praise on Gopichand, and said that whatever she has achieved till now, it has been because of the latter.

"There are some situations when I get really tired and then he comes to me and says that 'common, you can do it'. One thing is that he believes in me that I can do it. He understands me very well," she said in a behind the scene video further to the digital film.

"I have been under him for a very long time so he knows till where I can go and where I can stretch. Until that stretch he will take me and then he is like ok, fine," she adds.

Sindhu, who has been in a rampaging form ever since her Rio Olympics final defeat to Marin, had earlier clinched her maiden Super Series Premier title at China Open last year before winning the India Super Series in April. She also won the Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold in January.

-ANI