“My long-term goal is to become the world number one player.”

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.

I should not think that I have to win every match and what others will think; that will create extra pressure. I just have to give best on court.

I would love to act in a film if it is based on my life. But then it all depends on who is making it and how much time it would require for me to shoot.

I consider the All England as like any normal super series tournament.

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.

I put the good playing and game first, and money, prizes are secondary.

I just can’t do without music.

We can’t play if we are ill or not completely fit.

I have no tension. I only play to give my best.

When I started, I didn’t think I would become a great player. It was my passion; I had interest. My parents supported me. In that way, I continued.

Life has changed both on and off the court after the Rio Olympics medal. I have a lot of confidence on the court now and feel anything is possible. I also feel that I have improved my game. Off the court, I do get recognised more now.

Women’s badminton has become so competitive.

I love making friends and make others happy. But I also love to be happy all the time. All that aggression that you see remains on the court only.

Every tournament I have won has been memorable.

Instead of striving towards some distant goal that you will never reach, I invite you to stop and ask: How am I avoiding the enlightenment that is already present in each moment? How am I seeing separation where it doesn’t exist?

The goal lies away from the sensual world. It is not a rejection of the sensual world, but understanding it so well that we no longer seek it as an end in itself.

True meditation has no direction or goal. It is pure wordless surrender, pure silent prayer.

A goal is a dream with a finish line.

I want everyone, regardless of gender, to live a life free of restriction or fear, able to pursue their own personal brand of happiness and fulfillment.

Nothing really worth having is easy to get. The hard-fought battles, the goals won with sacrifice, are the ones that matter.

My goal is to live the truly religious life, and express it in my music. If you live it, when you play there’s no problem because the music is part of the whole thing. To be a musician is really something. It goes very, very deep. My music is the spiritual expression of what I am – my faith, my knowledge, my being.

For as from the same piece of clay a potter may fashion either a pot or a tile, so the Devil may shape a witch into a wolf or a cat or even a goat, without subtracting from her and without adding to her at all.