New Delhi: PV Sindhu seeks to benefit from the tips of Prakash Padukone at Paris Olympics and coupled with his experience and hard work hopes to win gold after a silver and bronze in previous editions of the quadrennial event.
Another medal would make her the most successful individual Olympian of the country, having claimed a silver and bronze in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 respectively.
So Sindhu wants it to be gold and despite struggling with form and fitness in recent years is looking forward to the Games with renewed confidence with former men’s World No. 1 Padukone in her corner.
Sindhu has suffered multiple injuries and changed coaches four times in the past year but has now settled on a team of Padukone and Indonesia’s Agus Dwi Santoso.
“This time, we have a whole new team with Prakash (Padukone) sir as my mentor and Agus (Dwi Santoso) as the new coach. Our practice is focused at getting everything perfect and to the point,” she told JioCinema
“It is my fortune that Prakash sir is my mentor and a part of my journey, and I hope his support can help me win that medal.”
Recent struggles has seen the former world champion slip to 13th in the BWF women’s singles rankings but Sindhu insists all that is behind her aware that bigger battles and stronger opposition await her at Paris.
“My preparations are focused on putting in the hard work while being smart and focused on that particular day,” the 29-year-old said.
“The Olympics is extremely competitive, and all the athletes are at their peak. The top 10-15 players in the world are of the same standard, be it the likes of AN Se Young, Akane Yamaguchi, Carolina Marin, or TAI Tzu Ying.
“There are no easy points at the Olympics, and we need to play hard for every point we score against an opponent. Anything can happen at the Olympics; one small mistake can change everything.”
Sindhu is certain that past experiences of Rio and Tokyo would her this time around along with the dream of claiming a hat-trick of Olympic medals.
“That third medal at Paris definitely motivates me, and I am going all-out to get that gold medal. For me, the Olympics is where I give my 200%,” she said.
“There are a lot of experiences from my previous outings at the Olympics that I will take into Paris 2024, but I don’t want to get overconfident thinking about the medals.
PV Sindhu has suffered multiple injuries and changed coaches frequently in the past year but has now settled on a team of Prakash Padukone and Indonesia’s Agus Dwi Santoso for the Paris Olympics. Badminton Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
