Rivalry That Transcends Home Sentiment
Carolina Marin doesn’t hide her surprise at how welcome she feels in India. After all, as she notes, she’d denied India an Olympic gold in 2016. A day before the start of the YONEX SUNRISE India Open 2023, Marin…
· DEV SUKUMAR
Carolina Marin doesn’t hide her surprise at how welcome she feels in India. After all, as she notes, she’d denied India an Olympic gold in 2016. A day before the start of the YONEX SUNRISE India Open 2023, Marin appeared happy to return to a place where her friend and on-court rival enjoys dizzying celebrity status.
“I feel happy to be here. I know maybe most of you can hate me because I beat your player (Pusarla V Sindhu in the Olympic final). But this is how sport is. We have a really lovely relationship off the court… I think already everyone knows, but if not, I will say it again. I love this country. I love to stay and play here.”
The Rio Olympic final was over six years ago, but Marin has an inextricable relationship with Indian audiences, given her ongoing, high-profile rivalry with home heartthrob Pusarla, and her frequent appearances in the Premier Badminton League.