India’s golden girl PV Sindhu returned back home to a hero’s welcome in the national capital on Tuesday (August 03). The Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist received a warm reception at the airport and was welcomed by the Badminton Association of India (BAI) General Secretary Ajay Singhania. She was later felicitated by Sports Minister Anurag Thakur in New Delhi.

Sindhu became the first Indian woman to win two Olympic medals as she followed up her silver medal from Rio Olympics 2016 with a bronze medal this year. Sindhu was up against China’s He Bingjiao in the bronze medal match after losing her semi-final clash against Tai Tzu Ying and wrapped up the proceedings in straight sets to finish on the podium in Tokyo.

Sindhu defeated Bingjiao 21-13, 21-15 to register a historic win and became the second Indian athlete after wrestler Sushil Kumar to win back-to-back Olympic medals in consecutive Games. She was honoured by the Sports Minister on her home return in the presence of several dignitaries including MoS, Youth Affairs & Sports, Nisith Pramanik and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

“@Pvsindhu1 you are amongst India’s greatest Olympians ! Your are India’s icon,inspiration & you’ve caught the imagination of every Indian who dreams of playing for the country! You represent what dreams are truly made of & what sheer hardwork can achieve. Welcome Home Champ,” Thakur wrote while sharing pictures of the felicitation ceremony.

Sindhu will go down in history as one of India’s greatest Olympians and shuttlers of all time. She has so far managed to return home with a medal from both her Olympics and has already elevated her status as one of the legends of the sport. She had dedicated her bronze medal victory to her family, coach, and COVID-19 victims.