New Delhi,jun 30
Two-time Olympic medallist P V Sindhu is physically and mentally in best shape but realises she needs to be “much more smarter” in her pursuit of a third medal at the Games.Sindhu had claimed a silver and bronze medal at the last two Olympics at Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo and will be heading into Paris with the aim of becoming the first Indian to win three Olympic medals.”It is challenging, it’s not easy but, at the same time, it’s not impossible,” Sindhu said during an interaction conducted by Sports Authority of India, the Indian Olympic Association and the Badminton Association of India.”Going into the third Olympics, I need to be smarter. I have a lot of experience on my side and I need to be much more smarter and I hope I can change the colour, and of course, get another medal for the country.” Sindhu is currently training at the Hermann-Neuberger Sportschule in Saarbrucken, Germany after her proposal was cleared by the sports ministry. She will be heading to Paris directly from there when the Games begin on July 26.”… Physically and mentally I am right there, I just have to be smarter and my coach Agus (Dwi Santoso) has been taking care of that, my trainer has been taking care of my physical part.”I am working on all the strokes, whether it is defense, or attack or netplay, it is important to be perfect in all things.”So I’m not focussing on just one stroke or technique, because you never know what it is going to be, there are players who are smart enough to change and move to plan B.””So you need to be prepared for it and I am focusing on practicing each and everything to make everything perfect — each stroke, all techniques.” Asked why she picked Germany as her training base ahead of the Games, Sindhu said: “Prakash (Padukone) sir, and we all discussed and thought, it will be a good place, it is near to Paris, it is in between nowhere, so I am much more focussed.””I have taken few sparring partners and have a team and currently training here has been very peaceful.
I can focus even more before the Olympics.” Sindhu has spent most time on the court in the run-up to the Olympics but she hasn’t been consistent enough or beating the top players. The Indian, though, did manage a runner-up finish at Malaysia Masters super 500.”It took me some time to come back (from injury) and I feel that now I’m doing well. Coming to the finals is not an easy thing. And, finishing matches, not finishing matches, it depends on how we play.” “Sometimes nothing might work out,” she said referring to the loss in Malaysian Masters final.”I feel that there’s been a lot of improvement and I know that I can do much better and I’m confident that I’m getting there. I need to keep believing in myself and keep working much harder.”
