P V Sindhu navigated a subdued 2023.
Despite all the heartbreaks on the court this year, Sindhu hasn't forgotten her sense of fun and enthralled us with whimsical snapshots, where she stood beside an elephant, symbolically resembling a rook in chess, and playfully threw down the gauntlet.
'Game of chess, anyone?' the badminton ace asked.
Grandmaster Harika Dronavalli swiftly embraced the light-hearted challenge, expressing her enthusiasm and keen interest in an encounter across the board.
Here's hoping that 2024 is a wonderful year for Sindhu. May she win title after title and may she add to her Olympic medal kitty. She already has a silver from Rio and a bronze from Tokyo.
Gold in Paris, we say, fingers crossed.