Tokyo Olympics: Indian Badminton Star PV Sindhu Finds Peace Of Mind Amid Expectations

Tokyo Olympics: India's PV Sindhu revealed that meditation was helping her stay calm amid the pressure of expectations and responsibility in Tokyo.

India's badminton superstar P.V. Sindhu is carrying the hopes of her country's 1.3 billion people, but meditation is helping her stay calm in the eye of the storm. The 26-year-old world champion, who won silver at the 2016 Rio Games, would become only the second Indian ever to win an individual Olympic gold if she triumphs this week in Tokyo. With Rio champion Carolina Marin of Spain absent with a serious knee injury, Sindhu has as good a chance as any in an open field. She booked her place in the quarter-finals with a 21-15, 21-13 win over Denmark's Mia Blichfeldt on Thursday, then revealed her secret for shutting out external noise. "I meditate at times, so I think that keeps my mind calm and keeps me going," she said. "We see a lot of things happening on social media everywhere. Sometimes to let go of everything I just meditate for a bit," she added. Mental health has been in the spotlight at the Tokyo Games, with American gymnast Simone Biles pulling out of the team and all-around individual events to preserve her wellbeing.