Behind PV Sindhu's success is the man who worked hard for it all

She is truly and justifiably the toast of India. Salute PV Sindhu. Her sterling performance at Rio Olympics is the latest outpouring of a symbiosis in quintessential Indian guru-shishya traditions.

Be certain there is more to come as she forges ahead to conquer the world in badminton to become unquestionably the champion of all she surveys. It is a triumph greater than any so far by an Indian in international sport.

Also read: What makes PV Sindhu's victorious journey even more spectacular

For it is the true nurturing and blossoming of talent in home conditions at the hands of a singular man no less committed to her evolution and to the sport which gave him just one of its prestigious international laurels - the coveted All England Championship won only by one other Indian, Prakash Padukone, and that too before him.

Salute Pullela Gopichand. He has made Pusurla Venkata Sindhu at just 21 the extraordinary sporting success which she is today.

What makes that cup of joy brimming with pride is that Gopi, 41, has achieved this by toiling and creating a system to nurse and produce champions. Instead of fuming at the bumbling sports administrators of his time, Gopi firmed up his own plans and with the help of a land grant from the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh government and availed of bank loans in building what is today the Pullela Gopichand Academy.

Few sensed that even as Saina Nehwal emerged as the star player, Gopi did not lose sight of the need to spot and develop talent and produce a rich crop of sporting stars. His tireless and disciplined demeanour served as the call which desirous parents latched on to eagerly, in order to transform their children into accomplished badminton players. Sindhu is the foremost among them - also a reason why in recent years Saina Nehwal opted to train under an exclusive coach, U Vimal Kumar, at the Prakash Padukone Academy, Bengaluru.

Also read: PV Sindhu is poised to make India proud this Olympics

Gopi's immense belief in creating and developing and enduring system, inspired by the experience of Indonesia and China, is what draws ambitious players with potential to him. This propelled Sindhu's parents, both volleyball players who wore the India colours, to first size up their daughter's deep interest who was willing to commute 40kms twice a day from Secunderabad to Gopi's academy for two years for the daily training and practice before they bought and moved into an apartment barely a kilometre away.

Their faith in a tough taskmaster made them virtually leave it to Gopi to take all decisions for a sporting career after allowing their older daughter to pursue her interest in becoming a medical graduate. Perhaps their own experience as sportspersons, who used that strength to be employed with the South Central Railway, prompted Sindhu's parents to permit her focus wholly on badminton, glossing over academics.

What has evolved thereafter is in line with Gopi's strategy of an ever-growing nursery. He spotted the promise in Sindhu and as early as 2010 mentioned to me "a lithe and lanky person is sure to go places in badminton" when asked who among his trainees were future champions. He named a few others too but singled her out for commitment and focus. "Spend some time talking to her to discover it for yourself but do not shoot questions in the manner journalists usually do," he said, calling her over and leaving me to continue the conversation with her.

"My life goal is an Olympic gold," she told me then, explaining how she took to badminton, inspired by the exploits of Gopichand himself.

Sindhu, then only a 15-year-old, added quickly and quite frankly: "Winning at the highest level depends, apart from skills, on the ability to turn out the best performance to outwit an opponent on that particular day."

Since then she has grown in confidence and consistency and has evolved to accept the pressures and cope with big match temperament even as she emerged from the shadows of her illustrious and formidable senior, Saina Nehwal.

She will continue to prove her mettle in the years to come.