CHENNAI: PV Sindhu is someone who needs no introduction. Her unwavering determination and her love for badminton has seen her scale many uncharted territories over the years. However, her returns have been modest (far from the highs she is generally used to) in the last seven months or so with injuries being the main reason behind that decline. But as she aims for her third medal at the Olympics, she seems optimistic as ever.
Admitting that it has been challenging, the 2019 world champ said she has learnt to be more patient and keep up the fight from recent struggles. "There were injuries. It is part of life. I was injured in 2022 and had a knee injury in 2023 as well. But touchwood, everything has been fine. It has been a challenging (Olympic cycle). I was injured and I had to rest for a couple of months and get back on court. But I have learnt from those experiences, being patient and believing in myself. To keep fighting every single day. I'm thankful to those who have been supporting me and have always believed in me," Sindhu said in a media interaction facilitated by the Sports Authority of India, Indian Olympic Association and the Badminton Association of India.
Given that she has been operating at the elite level for over a decade, Sindhu has faced many shuttlers from different backgrounds with varied styles of play over the years. With the emergence of new shuttlers in recent years, Sindhu expects a tough assignment in Paris.
"The competition is really high, so it is not going to be easy. This is my third Olympics but every time the game keeps changing and some of them are new players while some will be taking part for the second time. So it is going to be really challenging. One has to be physically and mentally stronger/smarter. These are the things that we need to keep in mind," the 28-year-old, who is currently training in Saarbrucken (Germany), said.
As mentioned earlier, the rigours of the sport have impacted her game.
With that in mind, she is concentrating on becoming more resilient, both physically and mentally. "It is important that I need to be on court for a longer period of time. Every match during the Asian tour went up to three games. One needs to be physically stronger to be able to compete. Nobody wants it to be three games, everyone wants to finish in two games. But sometimes due to the shuttles/court conditions, it might go to three games. So you have to be prepared for longer matches every time," she noted.
Under the guidance of Indonesian coach Agus Dwi Santoso, who has been associated with her since January this year, and the rest of her support staff, Sindhu has been working on those aspects. "I need to be smarter. I have the experience on my side. Physically and mentally, I'm right there and I need to be much smarter. Agus has been taking care of that and my trainer has been taking care of the physical part."
Sindhu stepping up during major events has been a recurring theme over the years. And she's hopeful of keeping up that trend. "In the Olympics, we get a little bit more time (to prepare). Hope I do that (perform) this time as well," Sindhu, who medalled in Rio (silver) and Tokyo (bronze), said with a smile.
The build-up has been far from ideal and despite her vast experience, this current phase is kind of a new territory. Given that she has always managed to find answers even during the toughest of times in the past, it will be a remarkable tale if she can rally to challenge for a medal in the upcoming Games.