NEW DELHI: PV Sindhu and her prowess at the World Championships. It's something that never gets old. Something that will never lose its shine. That has been the main subject of discussion as the two-time Olympic medallist aims to add to her folklore, this time in front of home fans. A day before the much-awaited BWF World Championships, being held at the Indira Gandhi Stadium here, Sindhu said she is as determined as ever and is hopeful of a podium finish.
Despite her immense reputation, the last few editions have been quiet affairs for her. She had been reduced to mortal status due to injuries and indifferent form. But Sindhu is now in a much better place to challenge for a podium finish after her recent run, which included a title win at the Japan Open.
"I hope I can keep the same confidence (like at the Japan Open) and I hope I do well here as well. Everything is going well, everything is fine. For me, it will be one match at a time. I hope I get a medal here too," Sindhu said.
Confidence aside, she may also be feeling jittery when she begins her latest campaign -- this will be the 10th time she'll be taking part in the tournament of this magnitude. She admitted that she still gets butterflies in her stomach every time she begins a tournament. "I won't deny that there's no pressure. But at the same time for me, there's nothing to lose and I just want to give my best because I know I have trained hard and I just need to go out there and give my best."
Big events either break you or make you. In Sindhu's case, it has been the latter. She was barely a teenager when she first captured a Worlds bronze in 2013. In 2014, she repeated the feat. All that had arrived much before her exploits at the Olympics, which helped her attain legendary status. It's clear that her Worlds exploits influenced her game heavily, giving her the necessary ammunition to dream big.
"Having five medals at the Worlds, it has been an amazing journey. Apart from that, where I've grown much stronger is when I lost the 2017 World Championships after playing very hard-fought match against (Nozomi) Okuhara. That was very hard on myself. That made me much stronger," she recalled.
"And there were times where I've lost, like even in 2018 where I was leading and then I lost the first game and I lost the gold. So these are some of the moments which, especially at the World Championships, made me stronger."
One thing that has been a constant in her life is her undiminished hunger. When asked what's the one thing that's remained constant over the last 13 years, she said 'the hunger' towards the game hasn't changed. "I know I definitely have it in me to still do well."
And the learning process has also been never-ending, something that has helped her be the conversation for a possible podium finish. At 31, the ever-evolving game has forced her to adapt and learn.
"I have had quite some changes, in terms of game and how you think, how you strategise. The sport itself has changed. Earlier, women's singles was a more attacking and faster-paced game. But now I think it's more of long rallies and staying on court for a longer duration of time. You need a lot of patience," she said.
"Now, I'm much more experienced in terms of how to deal on court, sometimes there's drift... it might not go according to your plans all the time."
Sindhu will be hoping to use all that experience when she begins her campaign against Sophia Noble of Ireland on Monday. If she wins her first two games, she could run into Wang Zhi Yi of China, who has had the upper hand over her so far this season. Wang is tough but not invincible. Sindhu had shown that in the Paris edition last year. The Hyderabad shuttler admitted that it will be a game of chess but she's looking to be prepared for every challenge that is in front of her.
"We have played a lot of times. She is doing well and she's one of the shuttlers at the top. Everybody would want to give their best at the Worlds or any tournament. We might know each other's games but we have to adapt according to court conditions and the shuttle conditions. You ensure that it's comfortable for you to play against her. Every athlete has a different style of play. Be it Wang Zhi or Yamaguchi (Akane) or An Se-young, I'm not saying it will be easy. It will be hard and I have to be prepared for everything.