Badminton star P.V. Sindhu caused a flutter on Monday afternoon with a Twitter post saying "I retire". The post gave rise to speculation she had retired from the sport.
Thankfully, for her fans, the tweet appeared to be only a contemplative post on COVID-19 hygiene.
Sindhu started the post with "Denmark Open was the final straw. I RETIRE." Sindhu had pulled out of the Denmark Open, held earlier this month, citing the high risk of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"I have been thinking about coming clean with my feelings for a while now. I admit I have been struggling to deal with it. It just feels so wrong, you know. That's why I, writing today to tell you that I'm done. It's understandable if you're shocked or confused but by the time you finish reading this you would have learnt about my point of view, and hopefully, will support it too," she wrote.
"This pandemic has been an eye-opener for me. I could train hard to fight the toughest of opponents, tooth and nail, right till the final shot of the game. I have done it before, I can do it again. But how do I defeat this invisible virus that has the entire world in a fix? It has been months at home and we still question ourselves every time we step out,” Sindhu wrote.
She wrote, "Today. I choose to retire from this current sense of unrest. I retire from this negativity, the constant fear, uncertainty. I choose to retire from a complete lack of control over the unknown. Most importantly, I choose to retire from substandard hygiene standards and our lackadaisical attitude towards the virus..."
Sindhu acknowledged the post would have shocked her fans. "I may have given you guys a mini-heart attack: unprecedented times requires unprecedented measures. I guess I needed to get you guys to sit up and take notice. That being said, we must be hopeful about the light shining at the end of the tunnel. Yes, Denmark Open didn't happen but that won't stop me from training. When life comes at you, one must come back twice as hard. So will I for the Asia Open. I refuse to give up without putting up a solid fight. I refuse to give up without conquering this fear. And will carry on doing so till we have a safer world."