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

My coaches have always been on my side, motivating me to try harder and harder every day, which is not easy.

You can’t compare one tournament with another.

Winning a tournament at the end of the year boosts your confidence a lot.

It’s always good to win a title.

The year 2017 has been really good for me. Definitely, a lot of positive things to learn from.

There will be many obstacles in the pursuit of your dreams. I had long hours of training, balancing studies and badminton.

Your dreams are what define your individuality. They have the power to give you wings and make you fly high.

I went to school like any other regular student till Class VIII, and my favourite subject was math. From Class IX, things got a little difficult to manage. I was inclined towards studies, but then I also had to give time to badminton.

We need to be always prepared for every match.

Sometimes it does upset you when you lose in the finals, or even in a quarterfinal or semifinal, especially when you think, ‘Maybe I could have played better,’ or even if you gave your 100 percent, and even then, you lose.

Be it ‘Mary Kom,’ ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag,’ or ‘Dangal,’ each one was inspiring in its own way. But my favourite is ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag.’

I think the coaches have to play a big role in the players’ development.

When you are injured, you need to strengthen yourself very well to make a comeback very confidently.

It is never the case that I will push myself more for the World Championships and play differently in a Super Series or vice-versa.

Ups and downs will be happening; coming to the final and losing by a point or so should not matter.

There is always scrutiny and pressure from the media. I am always told that I have to win.

Life is like dancing. If we have a big floor, many people will dance. Some will get angry when the rhythm changes. But life is changing all the time.

I’m amazed every time I come back to Vancouver at how much it’s changed. You go away for a month and there’s three more skyscrapers.

I am enslaved to my work, always wanting the impossible, and never, I believe, have I been less favoured by the endlessly changeable weather.

A miracle is a shift in perception from fear to love-from a belief in what is not real, to faith in that which is. That shift in perception changes everything.

Is a diamond less valuable because it is covered with mud? God sees the changeless beauty of our souls. He knows we are not our mistakes.

It is not the role of the United States to dictate change, but to enter into discussions with our friends.

Always Do Your Best. Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.

I think we brought to the world, the United States anyway, the whole idea of boycotting as a nonviolent tactic. I think we showed the world that nonviolence can work to make social change.