“There are many defining moments in my journey.”

Life has changed after Rio. Winning a silver medal was a huge moment for me. It has come with a lot of responsibilities.

I train for six days in a week for eight to ten hours of practice per day.

When you lose, you keep thinking, ‘I could have done things differently,’ but at that moment, you can’t do anything, so it is important to let go.

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.

In my early years, I would travel 56 km. from home to the training institute and back every single day.

Whoever plays well on a given day, that player wins.

I was 18 when I was presented with the Arjuna Award. To say it feels really good would be an understatement. But I don’t know how else to convey the feeling. I am grateful for having received this prestigious award at such a young age.

Sometimes you don’t play up to the mark, and you win even then.

Since the Rio Olympics, the expectations are always high, and the responsibilities are also high. I am used to it now. You have to keep going and keep working hard.

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.

I think judging a shuttle is different everywhere, so there is a drift, but you have to be used to it. We can’t complain, as I think it is same for all.

You win some and lose some. It’s all part of the game. You have to take it in a very positive way.

I think you can never be a complete player.

I think each player has a different style of play, and every match is different.

Definitely, the aim is to become No.1.

You have to keep on learning all the time unless and until you become perfect in all the strokes.

Sometimes dreams change – and sometimes they don’t. Sometimes, all that changes is the road it takes to get there.

It is not for you to judge the journey of another’s soul. It is for you to decide who YOU are, not who another has been or has failed to be.

The purpose of the journey is compassion. When you have come past the pairs of opposites, you have reached compassion.

No kind action ever stops with itself. One kind action leads to another.

There is no road less travelled than the one that leads into the sea. But the waves will always take you to where you need to be.

The inward journey is about finding your own fullness, something that no one else can take away.

You can only succeed. You cannot fail. Failure is impossible; it is an illusion. Nothing is a failure. Nothing. Everything moves the human story, and hence the process of evolution, forward. Everything advances you on your journey.

I think it’s my adventure, my trip, my journey, and I guess my attitude is, let the chips fall where they may.