New Delhi: Double-Olympic medallist PV Sindhu is all set to start a new chapter of her badminton career under the watch of legendary Indonesian coach Irwansyah Adi Pratama. She will start the new partnership at the India Open 2025, starting on Tuesday (January 13).
The Indonesian coach is credited for the growth of men’s singles players Jonathan Christie and Anthony Sinisuka Ginting back in their country. According to a report by Okezone, the 55-year-old Irwansyah wanted to take a new challenge abroad with his family after he opted against renewing his contract (expired in December) with the Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI).
Though Sindhu ended her title drought in December 2o24 with the Syed Modi International BWF Super 300 in Lucknow, the last season was moreover an underwhelming one for the Hyderabad-based shuttler. She recently got married and opted out from the season opener Malaysia Open last week. She will be back to action at the KD Jadhav Indoor Hall in New Delhi.
“Right now I am training with coach Irwansyah in Bangalore, it has been just one and a half week,” Sindhu said about her new coach during a press conference on Monday.
Basically he is women’s singles coach and also he is training some young boys as well. I am really looking forward to it. We have recently started,” she added.
Sindhu further emphasised on the importance of a healthy relationship between a player and a coach.
“The bonding is important between coach and athlete, it will take time. We will need a couple of training sessions to come together and understand what he’s thinking.
“I’ve heard a lot about him and I thought he is the right coach for me. The way he’s approaching against opponents, I think it’s really good,” she added.
This will be a major change for the former world champion after preferring to train under personal coaches in the build up to Olympic campaigns. She has trained under Park Tae-Sang for the Tokyo Olympic bronze and tried various coaches in the build up to Paris. She had roped in Muhammad Hafiz Hashim of Malaysia before the Asian Games 2022.
During the Paris Olympics, she was under the watch of renowned coaches Prakash Padukone and Vimal Kumar. Thereafter, she was associated with Anup Sridhar for a short-term deal. Sindhu has now decided to train in groups as Irwansyah is appointed as India’s singles coach.
“Yes, it will be in a group. Basically when the camp list comes out, will come to know who are the women players there. So accordingly it will be decided,” Sindhu said.
“I don’t think it will be different (working in groups). Initially when I used to play as an individually coached player as well, there were players who were sparring with me. So it’s good for them and it’s also good for me because they make it difficult,” she added.
Sindhu’s iconic badminton career included the two Olympic medals and five world championship medals, including the gold in 2019. She has been the flagbearer of the Indian badminton over a long period and still believes she can add a few more titles before hanging up her boots from the game.
“I still feel there’s so much more to achieve. I have that fire in me, and I know I can do it. It’s just a matter of time and rhythm,” she said.
“I definitely want to secure another medal at the World Championships, and also at the All England Championships. There are big tournaments like the World Tour Finals that I’ve already won medals in, but every time you step onto the court, you always want to win, even if you’ve won before,” she added.
Double Olympic medalist PV Sindhu embarks on a new chapter in her badminton career, teaming up with legendary Indonesian coach Irwansyah Adi Pratama. Their partnership begins at the India Open 2025. Sindhu aims to revitalize her performance under Irwansyah’s guidance, leveraging his experience in developing top-tier players. Badminton Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
