PV Sindhu is the highest paid Indian woman athlete and 7th highest worldwide! The only Indian athlete on the Forbes list! Indeed, the achievement qualifies to knock in some shock and awe for India and more importantly for its women. A non-cricketing athlete who is not even from the better paying sport of tennis achieving such heights shows how India’s potential is finally waking up and P V Sindhu is the flagbearer of this rainbow change in the sporting abilities of a hitherto sport sleepy nation of 1 billion plus.
Badminton, as we all know, has for long been a lesser sport with less money, less strength and a slim presence, what with China taking world domination on a prolonged soiree of fantastic and unbeatable performances. Saina Nehwal was the first to show the Chinese stars an unusual eclipse and Sindhu has added some of her own might to this yeomen effort, thanks to their gritty coach P. Gopichand. But that can be discussed on another plain. For now, it is all about the cash flow that is giving this tall and lanky Hyderabadi a new halo, and deservingly so.
A Forbes assessment puts Sindhu in the 7th position from the top among high paid female athletes in the world, with an annual earning of $ 8.5 million. Other than her, retired race car driver Danica Patrick (USD 7.5 million) is the only non-tennis player in the top 10 list led by Serena Williams for the third consecutive year. Suffice it to say, this is not just Sindhu's stock but India’s stock going north.
The medals have started coming and in upgraded colours. Soon, money will flow in too and Indian athletes would be in a happy endorsements space.
Our take: Where there’s money, there’s performance. And where there’s performance, there are medals, pedestals and glory for the nation. Sports budgets need an upgrade but meanwhile corporates can push in the money and make more there are many more Sindhus in sports like wrestling, archery, hockey and other such.
