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Olympic medallist trains for a week under legend’s mentorship in Bengaluru
Racked by poor form and a wretched run on the international circuit this year, PV Sindhu has turned to badminton legend Prakash Padukone for help ahead of the Hangzhou Asian Games.
After she lost to Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara in the second round of the BWF World Championships in Copenhagen last month, Sindhu, 28, pulled out of the China Open and discussed with Padukone the prospect of training under his mentorship at his academy in Bengaluru, sources told TOI. The two-time Olympic medallist landed in the city on Sunday with her full team, including her Malaysian coach Muhammad Hafiz Hashim.
With Padukone monitoring her sessions, including high-intensity training, the shuttler spent almost 6-7 hours every day at the facility during the week, sources said. “Sindhu and Padukone were seen interacting regularly during the sessions. She also sparred with some of the PPBA players,” the sources said.
The PPBA stint is likely to end this weekend and the Hong Kong Open, starting September 12, could provide Sindhu an opportunity to test herself. She is scheduled to meet Indonesia’s Putri Kusuma Wardani in the first round.
With the Olympic qualification period into its fifth month, the Bengaluru pit stop comes at a crucial juncture for Sindhu – who has suffered seven first-round exits in 2023 after a long injury layoff – as she attempts to turn her fortunes around. In July, after her loss to China’s Gao Fang Jie at the US Open quarterfinals, Sindhu had admitted that the defeat had ” left a significant emotional impact on me, especially considering the challenging and demanding year I’ve had.
“It’s disheartening to experience a disappointing defeat after each successful tournament.” But she had vowed to return stronger, saying: “…I am determined to channel my emotions into redoubling my efforts and making the remainder of the year truly remarkable.”
Racked by poor form and a wretched run on the international circuit this year, PV Sindhu has turned to badminton legend Prakash Padukone for help ahead of the Hangzhou Asian Games.
After she lost to Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara in the second round of the BWF World Championships in Copenhagen last month, Sindhu, 28, pulled out of the China Open and discussed with Padukone the prospect of training under his mentorship at his academy in Bengaluru, sources told TOI. The two-time Olympic medallist landed in the city on Sunday with her full team, including her Malaysian coach Muhammad Hafiz Hashim.
With Padukone monitoring her sessions, including high-intensity training, the shuttler spent almost 6-7 hours every day at the facility during the week, sources said. “Sindhu and Padukone were seen interacting regularly during the sessions. She also sparred with some of the PPBA players,” the sources said.
The PPBA stint is likely to end this weekend and the Hong Kong Open, starting September 12, could provide Sindhu an opportunity to test herself. She is scheduled to meet Indonesia’s Putri Kusuma Wardani in the first round.
With the Olympic qualification period into its fifth month, the Bengaluru pit stop comes at a crucial juncture for Sindhu – who has suffered seven first-round exits in 2023 after a long injury layoff – as she attempts to turn her fortunes around. In July, after her loss to China’s Gao Fang Jie at the US Open quarterfinals, Sindhu had admitted that the defeat had ” left a significant emotional impact on me, especially considering the challenging and demanding year I’ve had.
“It’s disheartening to experience a disappointing defeat after each successful tournament.” But she had vowed to return stronger, saying: “…I am determined to channel my emotions into redoubling my efforts and making the remainder of the year truly remarkable.”
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