Indian badminton star PV Sindhu has said that women who speak about harassment faced by them need not be ashamed about it and that women should be strong and believe in themselves. The badminton ace and youth icon said that instead of feeling ashamed about reporting harassment they have faced, women should be proud that they are coming forward to report such cases. PV Sindhu perfectly placed before All England, World Championships: Pullela Gopichand.

Sindhu also compared the reality that women have to face in India and abroad. "Travelling abroad, I have seen there is a lot of respect for women, I am happy there is respect for women in other countries. In India, people say 'we should respect women' but those who actually practice this are very rare," said Sindhu, speaking at a private event. 'Consistency with Performance is Specialty of PV Sindhu', Says Vice President Venkaiah Naidu.

Performance of Indian badminton continued to move northwards in 2018, especially the women's singles players -- P.V. Sindhu and veteran Saina Nehwal -- as they dished out one stunning performance after another. While Sindhu extended her status as India's leading shuttler and shrugged off the 'choker' tag by winning the BWF World Tour Finals title, Saina bounced back in style from injuries to pocket a few titles.

Sindhu was criticised despite a string of brilliant performances throughout the year. She was something of a juggernaut on the global stage, reaching the summit clash in the tournament after tournament, only to fall at the final hurdle. She had to settle for five silver medals in 2018, but the lack of a title haunted her every single day -- until she came good at the last tournament of the year.The wait for gold ended when the 23-year-old went on to clinch the BWF World Finals title and answered her critics. (With Agency Inputs)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 19, 2019 10:21 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).