Vijayawada: When her flight makes a touchdown at Gannavaram airport at 8 am on Tuesday, it's going to be a homecoming of sorts for Pusarla Venkata Sindhu. As Andhra Pradesh waits impatiently for the arrival of the 'daughter of the soil', the Chandrababu Naidu government is going all-out to roll out the red carpet for the badminton champion.
That the government is going to accord 'mother of all receptions' to Sindhu was made evident here on Monday when the district administration declared a holiday for all educational institutions so that thousands of students can line up on either side of the road from the airport to the city main centre. "Sindhu is AP's pride and honouring her is our duty. She brought laurels to the state and the country by winning an Olympic medal," district collector Babu A, in-charge of the reception arrangements, told TOI.
From according a grand reception at the airport to holding a 'Vijayotsav' rally till Indira Gandhi Municipal Corporation (IGMC) stadium in a colourful cavalcade to organising a civic reception at the stadium to taking a holy dip at Durga ghat and standing out as a star attraction at the grand finale of Krishna Pushkarams-2016, the Olympic silver medallist has her hands full on Tuesday. Students in a large number are expected to converge at the stadium to cheer the 'mana Vijayawada' girl and look forward to see and hear her.
With the chief minister himself extending a personal invitation to Sindhu, her parents and her coach Pullela Gopichand to witness 'Pavitra Harathi' to mark the culmination of the Pushkarams, it is going to be one big outing for the ace shuttler. Sindhu, on her part, accepted the invitation saying she would very much feel "at home" in Vijayawada, as the city happens to be her mother's hometown.
Outlining the grand plans, VMC commissioner G Veerapandian said that Sindhu along with her parents -- Ramana and Vijaya -- and Gopichand will arrive at the airport at around 8 am from where the player will travel in an open-top bus in a procession to the IGMC stadium. Apart from Veerapandian, mayor Koneru Sridhar, ministers Devineni Umamaheswara Rao and Palle Raghunath Reddy, MP Kesineni Nani, MLAs Bonda Umamaheswara Rao and Gadde Rammohan Rao and others will be at hand to receive her.
Vijaya belongs to Vijayawada and Ramana hails from a remote village in West Godavari. But the family settled in Hyderabad long ago as Ramana and Vijaya were pursuing careers in volleyball.
Sources said Sindhu along with her parents will take a holy dip in river Krishna at Durga ghat around afternoon. "After the felicitation at IGMC stadium, she will take the holy bath in the ghat. Later, she will take part in the grand finale of Pushkarams at Pavitra Sangamam ghat in Ibrahimpatnam," said a senior official.
The CM will present a cheque for Rs 3 crore to the ace player at the public reception at the stadium, sources said. In fact, Naidu sent Uma and Raghunath Reddy along with MP Nani to Hyderabad in the morning where they received Sindhu after she landed at Shamshabad airport at 9.40 am on Monday. They presented a bouquet and a shawl to her on behalf of AP government and extended an invitation to visit Vijayawada.
Soon after her stupendous show at the Rio Olympics, the AP government announced a cash reward of Rs 3 crore, offered a Group I officer post and a 1,000 square yard residential plot in Amravati. Gopichand was rewarded with Rs 50 lakh cash as a token of appreciation.
QUOTE:
Sindhu is AP's pride and honouring her is our duty. She brought laurels to the state and the country by winning the Olympic medal. — Babu A, Krishna district collector
Ace shuttler to offer prayers at Ratnalamma templeAccording to family sources, Sindhu is likely to visit Ratnalammakunta village in Pedavegi mandal, 19 km from Eluru, in West Godavari district to offer prayers to their family deity Ratnalamma ammavaru at a later date. "She has immense faith in Ratnalamma and took the blessings of the goddess before heading to Rio. She wil certainly make a thanksgiving visit to the shakti temple very soon," a relative told TOI. Close friends said that Sindhu and her father Ramana make it a point to visit the temple and worship the goddess before heading to any tournament or family function.
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