It is very important to be confident and strong even if you lose, because you know there are tournaments coming up next, and you have to be prepared for it.
While there are many good courts in the country, we need to have good coaches for more players to come up. Not everyone can go to Gopichand Academy, and everyone cannot afford international tournaments.
The Olympic medal gave me a lot of confidence, and I went and won my first Super Series in Hong Kong. So in that regards, what Rio did was give me extra motivation and the confidence that now anything can happen.
Nagpur to Kanyakumari and Kashmir, future Olympic medallists can come from anywhere. It is the passion that drives you, not the city, provided you get enough facilities.
I love to experiment with my looks and dresses on and off the court because I love to turn out very well. But, I must add here that just good-looking athletes can’t do anything for their sport.
I was lucky to get good coaches and infrastructure that I needed. To become a champion, it is not just a few months’ practice: it takes years to make a champion.
While I am training, I don’t go out for events, so rest days, in a way, take away that time. Apart from that, I just stay at home and rest, maybe relax at home and spend time with family.
