“It does hurt when someone writes you off. But what keeps me going is resetting goals and working hard to achieve them. I still have a long way to go,” says double Olympics gold medallist P.V. Sindhu as she leaves for the Asian circuit, including Japan, China, and Syed Modi Open tournaments.
In an exclusive chat with Sportstar, the 29-year-old champion shuttler said she was determined to prove the critics wrong. “I will let the racket do the talking. I have that belief—I can do it. And that’s what keeps me going, and I am just waiting for that one elusive title (she last won a major title in 2022), which should change the whole scenario,” Sindhu explained.
“Yes, sometimes long training sessions might just tempt you to think—I should give up. But fresh goals keep motivating me,” she added.
“What has happened is in the past. There is no point in pondering about it. I am looking for a new beginning, even though I have nothing to prove honestly. Yes, the challenges are going to be different with different players emerging in the women’s circuit, and I will train accordingly,” Sindhu said.
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“One of the bigger goals right now, after a disappointing Paris Olympics, is the World Championship next year. Post-Olympics, I have worked a lot on speed, strokes, and defence. So, having won two silver and two bronze in World Championships, I have a feeling as to why not make it two gold also (she won the title in 2019),” Sindhu said with a big smile.
“Obviously, critical analysis is a continuous process. I have been working with Anup Sridhar and South Korean Lee Hyun-II. The Denmark Open was very satisfying, though the Finland Open was disappointing. I have a strong feeling that I am closer to my best form,” she said.
“I have worked a lot on some mistakes,” Sindhu said.
“Frankly, not winning a major title for such a long time doesn’t hurt me, but it doesn’t bother me too much. Yes, it is always good to win titles. But, in sports, even when you play really well, you end up a loser. Unfortunately, it has happened more times for me in the recent past,” she said.
“I repeat, it is just a question of winning just one title, and then for sure there will be a turnaround. Waiting for that moment to happen very soon. The important thing is that I am in the right frame—mentally and physically. The emphasis has been to stay injury-free, and thanks to my support staff, I have been able to be match-fit,” Sindhu said.
On being forced to look for new coaches for different reasons, the former Commonwealth Games gold medallist said right now she would be working with Sridhar and Lee till December-end and then take a call in January about future assignments.
“It is not that I am looking for new coaches. But definitely figuring out who will fit into my scheme of things perfectly, and any call in this regard should only help my cause,” she concluded.
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