Humans of Olympics: Vizag girl stayed back in Paris to cheer for PV Sindhu
Keerthana Sai Nalla, 26, is management graduate, who has stayed back in Paris just to cheer for her favourite athlete PV Sindhu.
She already has a new job in Germany. Her current one with a consulting firm in Paris ends on July 31. She also wants to go back home to her family before she starts her new one in August. But Keerthana Sai Nalla, 26, loves badminton and has played the sport all her life. And Paris 2024 has forced her to change all her plans.
Indian shuttlers, especially the men’s doubles team of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, have been performing well and her favourite sportsperson of all time, double Olympic medal-winner PV Sindhu, is playing for a record third Olympic medal — a feat no Indian has ever achieved.
“This is my best chance to watch Sindhu in action at the Olympics so I am going to be around till the badminton games are done,” said Nalla, who watched the Games live at Arena Porte de La Chapelle in Paris on Sunday.
Also Read: Catch HT's comprehensive coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics here
The Indian pair of Satwik and Chirag defeated France’s Lucas Corvee and Ronan Labar in straight games, which made her weekend and decision to stay back totally worth it.
“Badminton is my highlight at the Olympics, I really love that game. I moved around the country because of my father’s job in the armed services but the one thing that remained constant in my life was badminton.
"I have been so excited about watching badminton matches lives that I made my friends buy tickets too,” added Nalla, who is constantly checking the Paris 2024 official ticket resale website for tickets to women’s singles semi-finals, which she expects Sindhu to reach.
