Can one be more than mega-famous?

[Janik]

PV Sindhu, who was already a massive star in India, has just won her first ever global title, the World Championships. Not just won, she absolutely destroyed the no.3 seed and former champion Nozomi Okuhara (Jpn) 21-7 21-7 in the final. Just completely dominated things, looking so powerful and athletic. Sindhu had had lots of near misses previously (Olympic silver, World silver twice) and was already absolutely minted from the endorsements those brought in. Not sure how her sponsors are going to up the ante with her having gone a stage further...
She is the first Indian ever to be a Badminton World Champion.

[Satchmo Distel]

If you mean whether extreme adulation is an Indian thing, I think there's a lot of truth to that. Tendulkar and Kohli are probably more famous than their equivalents could be in any other country. Kapil Dev after they won the World Cup in 1983 was a god, or equivalent.

[Sporting]

Does she call herself PV or is this journalistic licence?

[Satchmo Distel]

She calls herself PV.

[Janik]

Though the name on the back of her shirt today was Pusarla VS rather than PV Sindhu...

If you mean whether extreme adulation is an Indian thing, I think there's a lot of truth to that. Tendulkar and Kohli are probably more famous than their equivalents could be in any other country. Kapil Dev after they won the World Cup in 1983 was a god, or equivalent.

Not that particularly. More noting a closing of the gap between financial rewards and achievement.

The Men's final was also one sided (even more so), but unlike the Women's that wasn't because the winner, defending champion Kento Momota, played out of his skin but more that the runner-up, Anders Antonsen, was mysteriously poor. The commentators were wondering if he was injured as his movement was that laboured.

When did Japan become so strong in badminton, btw. Anyone know? I always had it in mind that China, Indonesia and Malaysia were the dominant three countries. But in addition to the Men's champ retaining his title and a former Women's champ finishing runner-up, the Women's Doubles final (easily the best match of the three I watched, going to 23-21 in the third) was not just all-Japanese, but an all-Japanese affair that pitted former champions against the runners-up for the previous two editions (and they lost again!). In fact, in Women's Doubles Japan's dominance sounds extraordinary. According to the commentators at one point recently Japanese pairs were Olympic Champions, World Champions and World No.1 ranked. And no pair held more than one of these accolades.

[andrew7610]

I once saw Sachin Tendulkar walking around Bicester Village, although I wouldn't have noticed it was him if he hadn't been flanked by 4 extremely conspicuous burly bodyguards. And the fact that my Indian colleague, who had never mentioned anything even remotely sport-based beforehand, couldn't manage to walk or talk in the presence of a deity.

[Flynnie]

Sindhu is her given name, Pursala probably the closest thing to a family name, Venkata is a sacred hill in Tirumala. Her father played volleyball for India and was Pursala Venkata (PV) Ramana.