SHAH ALAM – India’s finest contemporary shuttler, P.V. Sindhu, is on a mission to reclaim her lost glory and ceded territory.
The 28-year-old, ranked 11th in the world, has been out of the game since October last year after sustaining a knee injury picked up during the French Open.
Considered one of her nation’s most successful athletes, Sindhu boasts two Olympic medals (silver at Rio 2016 and bronze at Tokyo 2020), two Commonwealth Games gold medals (Gold Coast 2018 Gold and Birmingham 2022), and a World Championship title (Basel 2019).
She began her 2024 Badminton Asia Team Championships (BATC) by defeating China’s Han Yue.
Her winning momentum continued as the Indian women’s team went on to win 3-2 in a thrilling encounter against China at the Setia City Convention Centre yesterday.
Speaking to Scoop, the rejuvenated Sindhu is currently carefully planning to add the elusive Olympic gold to her decorated medal cabinet.
Sindhu, who was previously training under the guidance of former All England champion, Malaysian Muhammad Hafiz Hashim, at the Suchitra Badminton Academy in Hyderabad, has moved to train under Prakash Padukone.
She has also added Indonesian Agus Dwi Santoso to her coaching team since November last year.
“Being injured was difficult, especially when I was at my peak, and it was not easy for any athlete to come back from an injury. I learned the hard way, and now I’m happy that I’m able to do what I do best.
“I had back-to-back semi-finals (2023 Arctic Open and 2023 Denmark Open) before my injury, and it definitely hurt a lot when I got injured.
“I have won everything in badminton, and to win a gold medal for India in the Olympics is still my biggest goal. I’m not going to stop until I reach my destination. I’m passionate about the sport, and I believe I can still go on to win a lot.
“I have made some changes in the coaching set-up, and I have a new team from coach to a new set of support staff. New year, new resolution, and a new me, and I’m hoping to get back to my old form, especially to be mentally and physically fit,” said Sindhu.
At the same time, Sindhu also expressed her happiness with her opening day performance at the ongoing BATC and believes that the young Indian contingent has the potential to go far in the tournament.
Out of the 10 Indian women shuttlers fielded in the tournament, eight are below the age of 25, with women’s doubles player Tanvi Sharma being the youngest at just 16-years-old.
The average age of the Indian national women’s team for the tournament is 22.6-years-old.
“I was really excited to play in my first tournament after my injury, and today, playing against Han Yue, I think it went really well. I was calm, and I’m really happy that I contributed a point for my team.
“I did not dwell on my previous winning records against Han as I am a person who looks to the future instead of the past. Today was a fresh start for me, and nothing from the past crossed my mind.
“Ashmita Chaliha (singles player) has a lot of potential, and she played really well in her recent tournament (Thailand Masters), where she reached the semi-finals.
“I think she has the confidence, and the whole team, which is surrounded by young players, will be a big boost for India in this tournament,” Sindhu added.
India currently sit atop Group W with 214-231 points.
The top-two teams from each group will progress to the knockout stages before a fresh draw is conducted for the last eight.
Additionally, the top-four teams from both the men’s and women’s events will qualify for the Thomas and Uber Cup Finals in China, taking place from April 28 to May 5, 2024. – February 15, 2024