Ace badminton player PV Sindhu today kicked up a storm on social media with a cryptic letter on Twitter titled 'Denmark Open was the final straw, I Retire.' However, much to everyone's relief, the letter wasn't one of her retirement from badminton, but a way of drawing attention to the gravity of the coronavirus pandemic that people have begun having a "lackadaisical attitude" towards. She explained that not being able to represent India at the Denmark Open due to the pandemic was an eye-opener of sorts, prompting her to retire from the "unrest," "negativity," and "lack of control over the unknown."
Sindhu, who smartly began by saying, "...by the time you finish reading this you would have learnt about my point of view, and hopefully, will support it too," did admit later to giving fans a "mini-heart attack." But explained that "I needed to get you guys to sit up and take notice." Here is the letter that has gone viral with over 4500 reshares on Twitter:
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PV Sindhu On Fighting The Virus
In a time when the pandemic has wreaked havoc on people's sense of normalcy, afflicting them with negativity and hopelessness, Sindhu's letter comes as a message of empowerment. Expressing affinity with her fans, she wrote, "It has been months at home and we still question ourselves every time we step out... 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."
The Olympic-level player also announced her will to not take the Denmark Open incident lying down, instead announcing, "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."
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Social Media Reactions
When she first posted her letter, social media practically went into a frenzy, with people lamenting over the World Champion's retirement from sports. But upon further reading, the disappointment soon turned to relief and then awareness towards fighting the coronavirus. While some lauded Sindhu for taking such an eye-catching approach, others used it as an opportunity to point out the importance of reading cautiously in a time of fake news.
We rounded up some of the best reactions for you from all over Twitter:
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