PV Sindhu: 'BWF Finals is a fresh challenge, I'm ready'
Sindhu, who is the defending champion and the only Indian in the fray at BWF Finals, is not bothered about the poor run after the gold in the Worlds.
Published : Dec 04, 2019 21:21 IST
Brushing aside the disappointment of not winning even a single major after being crowned the World champion in August, shuttler P.V. Sindhu is determined to finish the year on a high at the BWF World Tour Finals in Guangzhou (China) from December 11 to 16.
The 24-year-old Sindhu, who is the defending champion and the only Indian in the fray, is not bothered about the poor run after the gold in the Worlds. She insists she has been playing well, but it is not possible to win every tournament.
“There have been a lot of ups and downs this year, which is not yet over for me. Apparently, the Worlds gold was the high-point as it has been a truly brilliant performance,” Sindhu said in an exclusive chat with Sportstar at the Gopi Chand Academy here on Wednesday.
“I don’t think the tag of being a World champion and also going there to defend the title would mean any pressure. I would like to treat just like any other Major but certainly very keen to put up an improved performance,” Sindhu said.
“The BWF Finals throw fresh challenges and I am prepared for them, thanks to more than two weeks of training which helped me fine-tune my game, pay attention to some of the mistakes and learn not to repeat them. I am much stronger mentally and physically now,” she said.
"Well, I always believe every day is a learning curve and there is no end to this process. No one can be a complete player and I am no different,” the champion shuttler said.
“Everyone knows about my game now and I have to change accordingly, though it doesn’t necessarily mean drastic changes. A little bit of adjustments technique-wise against some of the top players should help my cause,” Sindhu said.
The star shuttler insists that the new coach Park Tae Sang, whom she has known for a long time, is really helping her in being a much better player. “He is giving some really important tips to me and I hope to get the results everyone expects of me soon,” she said.
What is the biggest challenge? “Every match in any tournament is important as there is little that separates the top eight or 10 in the world. So, the onus is on us to keep improving all the time,” she said.
Interestingly, Sindhu doesn’t believe that her poor run has anything to do with the hectic international schedule. “You can’t do anything with this. Have to plan, train and play accordingly. Ultimately, you have to be consistent to be a champion,” she said.
On women’s singles competition, India’s premier women’s shuttler says it continues to be very tough. “It is great to see Carolina (Marin) back which I feel is very good for the game,” she said.
Sindhu says if she were given the choice to pick the best aspects from the top players’ - Tai Tzu, Carolina Marin and Nozomi Okuhara , they will be strokes and net play of Tai, aggression of Marin and the rallies of Okuhara.
Has life changed after being the world champion? “Yes of course. Lot more than being an Olympics silver medallist. But, honestly, I am enjoying every bit of it even while balancing between being on the court and away from it,” she said.