International Kite Festival 2016 Press Meet at Shilparamam

KITE 2017, Telangana's 2nd International Kite Festival announces Pusarla Venkata 'PV' Sindhu, Telangana state icon, global badminton champion and Olympic silver medallist as its official 'face. PV represents the talent, dreams and accomplishments of young Indian women today and is the perfect person to carry the KITE 2017 flag.

KITE 2017 is a festival with a difference, committed to the cause of women's empowerment through girl child education. It aspires to raise awareness and support for this crucial aspect of our progress as a nation. P.V Sindhu is an embodiment of that progress. By breaking national records in the arena of sport traditionally reserved for men, she has brought into the limelight the inherent taient and skills that rest within girl children in India and all over the world, if only given a chance to shine.

2016 has a been a ground breaking year for Indian women in sport, not least 21-year old P.V Sindhu who rose to worldwide fame when she became the first Indian woman to win a silver medal at the August Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Since then, she has won her first China Open Super Series title, finished second at the Hong Kong Super Series and has crested the wave of her meteoric rise by reaching the semi-finals of the 8WF World Super Series in Dubai. She is also the youngest recipient of the Padma Shri, India's fourth most significant civilian award.

“Support from my family is what got me here" says Sindhu after an intense training session with her coach Pullela Gopichand. "And that's why I am happy to be representing KITE 2017’ because I hope other girls in India get the support they need to achieve anything they want to achieve, just like I have done. From their parents, their extended families, from schools, teachers and friends“
Known for her quiet temperament, steely attitude on the court and confident technique, Sindhu's victories this year have been the culmination of regular, determined practice since she was 8 years old, combined with a die-hard spirit. Born to parents who were both volleyball players, she chose badminton because it was a sport where one didn't need to depend on anyone else. That ferocious independence, as weii as her sheer athletic prowess and poise in the face of stiff competition, are undoubtedly the reasons behind her success, and the cause of open-mouthed awe and inspiration amongst her compatriots.

"Being a girl, she has established herself in such a way that she has brought a good name to the country," says P.V Ramana, Sindhu's father. "Girls in sport should be encouraged because they are hardworking and committed. In this way we can prove that our girl children are no less our boys and can achieve the same, if not more."