CHENNAI: When badminton eventually returns in September, PV Sindhu feels that there will be an element of risk till a vaccine is in mass production. "We have to calculate the risk in every step involved." In an interview with The New Indian Express, the shuttler also spoke about how she has used this downtime to spend time with family, and the highly competitive nature of women's badminton. Excerpts:
What have the past three months been like? Has the uncertainty been frustrating?
Not at all. I have used this time to rest well, spend time with family and work out at home. However, I am missing the action on the court, for sure.
Athletes have spoken about lack of motivation. Have you also felt that?
Not at all in my case. I've never gotten such time in years, and I am trying to make the most of it. At the same time, I am keeping up my physical fitness so that I can jump right back into the game once training resumes. However, I understand that it's been tough for a lot of players. I can understand that something like this is unpredictable. It has completely halted our daily routine.
Do you think the sport will have a changed look when it returns?
There will be some changes which will be followed for player and coach safety. The necessary changes proposed by the world body, plus the proposal by the Indian government on the standard operating procedures in the nation, will have to be followed.
Will there be a risk in travelling, mingling and sparring till a vaccine is in mass production?
We have to be extremely careful, as plenty of travel and hotel stay are involved. There is going to be a risk. We will have to calculate that at every step. No one should be at risk: players, coaches, staff or audience. We need to keep the sport alive with minimum risk to everyone. These are challenging times, indeed.
When you won the Worlds last year, did you feel like that monkey was finally off of your back, considering the constant criticism about losing in finals?
Absolutely. That was something I really cherished. The criticism was particularly to my finals. However, I believed that reaching the finals was in itself a big task. Women's badminton is very competitive. Any one in the top 10 can walk away with the title. So it's all about fighting at every stage of the tournament, not just the final.