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The two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu spoke on the ongoing West Asia conflict, expressing hope that everything gets fine soon and laid down her aim of returning to the competition during the Asian Championships in April after missing the All England and Swiss Open competitions due to the conflict that has affected major sections of global airspace.
Sindhu spoke to the media in Gurugram on the sidelines of a conversation on, "Raising Resilient Minds: Excellence, Identity and the Courage to Grow" at the DPS International School on Tuesday. Speaking about her experience of being stuck in Dubai last month on her way to the All England Open in Birmingham, Sindhu said, "Getting stuck there, I think it was unfortunate. I mean, I could not do anything, and I am sure you all know I put it out on social media as well. Hopefully, I was safe and came back home safely. But I think it is definitely very stressful. And missing out on tournaments... I mean, it is so unfortunate. Everything was good; we started off well, and once we landed, it was like everything was chaos and everything had to shut." The consequences of this conflict on the airspace and movement across the world caused Sindhu to miss the prestigious All England Open competition held from March 3 to 8 and later the Swiss Open tournament held from March 10 to 15, where she had targeted her return initially during a presser organised by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) earlier in March. Sindhu, who was supposed to feature in the All England Open competition in Birmingham, was stuck in Dubai following a crisis which started due to a sharp escalation in West Asia after Israel and the United States launched coordinated strikes on Iranian military and nuclear-linked sites. The operation triggered retaliatory strikes by Iran and airspace closures in several countries, including Iran and Iraq, disrupting major international air corridors. The conflict, which escalated due to the assassination of 86-year-old Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in joint military strikes by the US and Israel, has also disrupted the waterway and affected international energy markets and global economic stability. Due to the conflict in the region, the Strait of Hormuz, a critical transit route for global energy supply, has reportedly been rendered inoperational. Speaking further about the conflict and her hope for peace, she recalled how her coach could hear a "big sound" while being a few 100 meters or so away from her, which had such an impact that they decided to skip the tournament. Sindhu said that while it was sad she missed out on the tournament, her life was her "main priority". "After staying like three days in Dubai, I thought, you know, at most, priority is life comes first. And that's how I decided to come back. And even for the Swiss Open, almost all the flights were getting cancelled, and it was such a hassle. And I was also not in that space of mind of "what is going to happen" because I had seen it with my eyes, and it was horrible. Like, you know, it was pretty bad. And my coach was like... just 100 meters away there was debris or whatever, he could hear a big sound. And that impacted him like really very much, and they all had to come out," she said. "So, it is so sad that it is happening, but at the same time, I hope things will be fine soon. But at the same time, just worried that, seeing the situation, it is getting worse and worse. Life comes first, and that is the main priority. At the end of the day, you have to be safe, and everything should be fine. A lot of people are losing their lives, and we feel sad about it. I hope things will resolve soon and come back to normal," she concluded her point. Sindhu said that she aims to return at the Asian Championships, which will take place in April in China from April 7 onwards. "Next (target) would be Asian Championships. That is, I think, in about two weeks from now, and that will be in China. So I hope by then the flights and everything will be fine. Hoping for the best, but yeah, that will be the next," she added. Sindhu also spoke on the need to lay equal emphasis on sports and education in today's generation, and the approach of children to sometimes totally devote themselves to their sport is not the best route. "In this generation, a lot of people might think that they only want to play sports. I understand, yes, their passion, their excitement to go out there and play and take it as a profession. But I think it is also important that you have your studies by your side. It is not just that you play sport and that is all. I think now in this generation, you know, going to school--like let us say 7th standard, 6th standard--even they are like, "No, we want to fully focus on sport," she said. "But I think it's important; studies and sport are also equally important. And I feel that, you know, you train for an hour in the morning and then go to school, come back and train for an hour or two in the evening. I think that keeps you refreshed at the same time. Not 24 hours studying, but also you just take your mind a little bit aside and then go out there and enjoy playing sports. And that's how you will be clear in your mind; at the same time, you also enjoy playing whichever sport you want to. So I feel it is equally important," she concluded. (ANI)
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