New year and fresh resolve for PV Sindhu

Though her form wasn’t anywhere near her peak level last year, Sindhu still managed to win her first title since the Commonwealth Games in August 2022 when she clinched the Syed Modi India International crown in Lucknow in December.

“It was very important to have that win. It gave me a big boost. It had been quite a while since I had won a title (28 months). I had been playing quarters, semis, finals. But that win gave me that confidence. It is always good to end the season with a win and have that confidence going forward,” said the world No.14.

With a title behind her, Sindhu is eager to step on court at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex to get her season going, especially with a new coach in her corner. Indonesian Irwansyah Adi Pratama has been roped in to coach India’s female singles shuttlers and the two-time Olympic medallist believes she can return to winning ways.

“We’ve just started. Bonding is very important between a coach and an athlete so it will definitely take time, but I am really looking forward for it to happen. There have been some training sessions and I am beginning to understand what he’s thinking,” the five-time World Championship medallist said.

“It’s very new. He is trying to understand how I am thinking, what I am doing, what needs to be done. Accordingly, we’re working together and strategising. He’s a good coach, the right coach for me.”

The first objective for Irwansyah will be to help Sindhu beat the best in the business, which she has fallen short of most times in the last couple of years. Though she won a title after 28 months, Lucknow’s Super 300 event lacked all top stars and Sindhu, who was the top seed, beat a lowly ranked (world No.65) Wu Luo Yu of China in the final.

The Hyderabad player acknowledges that she needs to raise her game to beat top players like world and Olympic champion An Se Young of South Korea, world No.2 Wang Zhi Yi of China and No.3 Akane Yamaguchi of Japan and reclaim her place among the elite in women’s badminton.

“Women’s singles game is changing. I have been on the circuit for so many years. They know my game and will accordingly anticipate (my moves). So, it’ll be important to strategise with the coach, have Plan A and Plan B,” said Sindhu.

“At the same time, I need to maintain my speed and try and improve it. I need to have my power. They know the way I play so I need to keep changing. That’s how you stay above them.”

Sindhu will continue to train in Bengaluru under the new coach and other national campers, which is a very different set up for someone who had a personal coach and own set of sparring partners in the previous Olympic cycle.

Badminton Association of India (BAI) is now promoting group training under one coach for each group of players (men’s singles, women’s singles, etc.) and Sindhu has accepted the change. She doesn’t feel the dynamics will be different.

Two Olympic and five World Championship medals, the only Indian shuttler to become a world champion and a cupboard full of BWF trophies, Sindhu has perhaps achieved more than all other compatriot shuttlers combined.

But she isn’t finished. She still has the burning desire to win. And with no burden of heading to an Olympics, she is ready to face the best.

“Here on, it’s important to pick and choose tournaments. Right now, I am just focussed on India Open. After the Olympics, people have been asking, what next? There’s lot of time for the next Olympics. But there’s a lot more left to achieve,” said Sindhu, who opens her Indian Open campaign on Tuesday against Shuo Yung Sung of Chinese Taipei.

“I still have that fire in me. I know that I can do it. It’s just a matter of time and rhythm. I definitely want to win another World Championship medal. I want to win All England. I want to win big tournaments like the World Tour Finals. I have won medals in all of them but still every time I go on court I always want to win.

“I feel really good. It’s a new year with new goals. I hope it’ll be really good and I stay injury-free. It is not going to be easy. I have to work hard for it. It’s time to come back stronger.”