PV Sindhu pulls out of BWF World Tour Finals 2022
Sindhu is still recovering from a stress fracture on her left ankle which she suffered during the Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham.
Indian badminton star PV Sindhu has withdrawn from the season-ending BWF World Tour Finals 2022, which will be held in Guangzhou, China, from December 14.
PV Sindhu, a double Olympic medal winner and 2018 BWF World Tour Finals women’s singles champion, has been out of action since August, having sustained a stress fracture in her left ankle en route to winning a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham.
The Indian badminton player was expected to recover before the season-ending BWF World Tour Finals but she has been behind schedule. The Sindhu camp has already informed the Badminton Association of India (BAI) about her withdrawal.
“Her doctor has advised her to take some more time so that she recovers completely ahead of the new season,” PV Ramana, Sindhu’s father, told PTI.
“She has discussed the pros and cons, including the many restrictions in Guangzhou. Keeping the new season in mind, she has taken this decision,” Ramana explained.
With COVID-19 cases on the rise in China, the authorities have enforced strict protocols in Guangzhou and other cities, which may pose extra challenges for players travelling to the city for the BWF World Tour Finals.
“She will need to be at her best for next year, which will have the Asian Games and also the 2024 Paris Olympics qualification. Playing about 22 tournaments will be tough, so she is taking extra care," Ramana added.
Ramana, however, assured that PV Sindhu has already started training and is expected to be back on the court by January next year.
PV Sindhu's withdrawal leaves men’s singles player HS Prannoy, ranked third in the BWF World Tour rankings, as India’s only potential representative at the BWF World Tour Finals 2022.
Kidambi Srikanth, 10th in the Race to Guangzhou, also has a fighting chance to make the cut if he performs well at the Australian Open BWF Super 300 event, which starts in Sydney on Tuesday.
Lakshya Sen, ranked 11th, has already withdrawn from the Australia event due to a throat infection and will miss the bus to Guangzhou as well.