PV Sindhu says Paris Olympics not far off but won’t rush to qualify

Indian badminton ace PV Sindhu is on a mission to make it to the Paris 2024 Olympics, scheduled from July 26 to August 11 next year. However, leading up to the qualification window for the upcoming Summer Games, which runs from May 1, 2023, to April 28, 2024, the double Olympic medallist has been struggling with injury layoffs and a dip in form.

PV Sindhu has endured a start-stop season so far this year. The 27-year-old was part of India’s bronze medal win at the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships 2023 at Doha in February but had to skip quite a few tournaments on the BWF World Tour 2023 due to injury.

In the four tournaments Sindhu has played in since coming back from a long injury layoff post her gold medal win at the Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham, PV Sindhu has failed to progress beyond the second round - a worrying sign for a player known for her consistency.

The dip in form also saw her slip out of top 10 in the women’s singles badminton rankings for the first time since November 2016. Furthermore, PV Sindhu also parted ways with her South Korean coach Park Tae-sang recently and is yet to find a permanent replacement.

With the qualification window approaching fast, Sindhu needs to address a lot of issues quickly. The former world champion, however, is not rushing things and is confident of bouncing back.

Olympics.com recently caught up with P Sindhu, who is playing in the Madrid Spain Masters, for an exclusive interview.

Excerpts from the interview

Q: The beginning of the season was quite hard. How far do you think you are from your best?

PV Sindhu: Coming back from an injury, and trying to get back into the rhythm, you might win and you might lose, but you shouldn't let that affect you. It’s always hard to lose, but you need to learn from your mistakes and bounce back stronger. Right now, even though I have lost a couple of tournaments, it's important for me to have that mental state of mind where it is ok to go back, practice hard and come back again. Fitness wise, everything is fine. But just that you need those two good matches and you’re there. So, not far.

Q: The Olympic qualification period is starting soon. How prepared are you?

PV Sindhu: It’s not going to be easy, but at the same time we have to remain injury free and we also have to maintain our mental and physical state. It's very important that you enjoy your game and also practice harder as well.

Q: How much are you thinking about Paris 2024 right now?

PV Sindhu: It's not very far (laughs). It’s less than 500 days away. Once the qualification starts, it's important that you focus on match-by-match. The question for me is, what is next? The next is a couple of tournaments, the next match. I am taking just one step at a time.

Q: Are you still looking for a new coach?

PV Sindhu: Yes, I am looking for a new coach. Still searching, I hope I’ll get a good one soon.

Q: What will you work on with the new coach?

PV Sindhu: I have had lots of coaches and each coach has taught me something new which I am really grateful and thankful for. Of course, earlier it was Park Tae-Sang. But I thought I needed to change something so I felt it would be good to see a new coach, improvise and learn many new things. I think the coach and the athletes' relationship should be such that they should understand each other. As a coach, he needs to understand what's going on, what mistakes am I making. And as a player, I need to understand the coach - how he is explaining to me and telling me what to do. And how the strategy works. The coach-athlete relationship is always important. So I am trying out some coaches. Hopefully, I will get a coach soon.

Q: Talking about coming back from injuries, Carolina Marin has made a brilliant comeback after a long layoff. Is that an inspiration for you?

PV Sindhu: Injuries happen to players but you can't do anything about it. You need to bounce back stronger, And when you have an injury, you lose that hope and belief that what happened or what next. But of course, Carolina Marin was injured and she came back. So for an athlete, that grit, confidence and belief should always be there. Of course I'm in her city but I haven't met her yet. We are really good friends and hoping to meet her.

Q: Everytime you step on the court, we expect you to win. How do you cope with the pressure and expectations?

PV Sindhu: Expectations are always there. Everytime you go into a match, there is pressure and expectations as people want you to win every single match. However, it’s not possible every time. Sometimes it’s not your day, sometimes you might play great. But rather than thinking about what others want, you just go into the match with focus and give your 100 percent. And if you win, it’s good for you and the people out there. Expectations will always be there, you can’t change that.