I will continue, albeit after a small break: Sindhu

PARIS: Indian badminton ace P V Sindhu on Friday said she will take a short break following her pre-quarterfinal exit from the Olympic Games as she comes to terms with "one of the hardest" defeats of her career but promised to continue after "carefully" evaluating her journey ahead.

Sindhu, who won a silver in the 2016 Rio Games and a bronze in the 2020 Tokyo edition, bowed out of the ongoing Games following a straight-game loss to China's world number nine He Bingjiao.

"Regarding my future, I want to be clear: I will continue, albeit after a small break. My body, and more importantly, my mind need it. However, I plan to carefully evaluate the journey ahead, finding more joy in playing the sport I love so very much," Sindhu posted on X.

"This loss is one of the hardest of my career. It will take time to accept, but as life moves forward, I know I will come to terms with it," she said.

The 29-year-old, who is a trailblazer in Indian badminton, said her buildup to the Games was far from ideal but once here, she gave it her all.

"The journey to Paris 2024 was a battle, marked by two years of injuries and long periods away from the game. Despite these challenges, standing here and representing my wonderful country at a third Olympics makes me feel truly blessed," she said.

"I'm incredibly fortunate to compete at this level and, even more importantly, to inspire a generation. My team and I gave everything we had for Paris 2024, leaving it all on the court with no regrets," she added.

The Hyderabadi is among the most successful athletes from India, having claimed five world championship medals, including a gold and two silver. She is also a multiple-time Commonwealth Games and Asian Games medallist.