Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Sindhu courts title success with new training method

There is so much more for me to achieve, says Indian badminton star

Sindhu courts title success with new training method

PV SIndhu

INDIA’S two-time Olympic medallist, PV Sindhu, said she still has the fire to achieve more in the last phase of her career as she has begun a new chapter under Indonesian coach Irwansyah Adi Pratama.

The 29-year-old from Hyderabad has worked with multiple coaches, but endured a challenging season which included a medal-less Olympic campaign.


She is one of only three Indians to win back-to-back Olympic medals and is also a world champion, besides claiming podium finishes at the Asian and Commonwealth Games.

Sindhu, who returns to action at the India Open Super 750 after missing the Malaysia Open recently following her wedding last month, has begun training under Irwansyah. He is credited with the rise of men’s singles stars Jonatan Christie and Anthony Ginting.

“Right now, I am training with coach Irwansyah in Bangalore, it has been just one and-a-half weeks,” Sindhu said. “Basically, he is the women’s singles coach and is training some young boys as well. I am really looking forward to it.

“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. His approach against opponents, I think it’s really good.”

The shift from personal coaches to group training under Irwansyah at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy marks a major change for Sindhu. “Yes, it will be in a group. Basically, when the camp list comes out, we will know who the women players are.” Having achieved success, including the Rio Olympic silver, under the tutelage of her mentor and chief India coach Pullela Gopichand, Sindhu later worked with Korea’s Kim Ji Hyun to win the 2019 World Championships and claimed the Tokyo Games silver with Park Tae-Sang.

She then moved to Malaysian Muhammad Hafiz Hashim, before training with Vidhi Choudhary for a brief time. Sindhu trained under Indonesian Agus Dwi Santoso and India’s Prakash Padukone mentored her ahead of the Paris Olympics. She also sought the guidance of Anup Sridhar and Korean Lee Hyun-il until December.

Asked if the dynamics will be different in a group setting, Sindhu said: “I don’t think it will be different. 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.

“It will be like a conference, where they are also improving, I am also improving. We are competing against each other.”

Before claiming the Syed Modi Super 300 crown in December, Sindhu had last won a BWF title at the Singapore Open in 2022. A stress fracture on her left foot following the Commonwealth Games gold kept her away from the court for a long time. Sindhu also suffered a knee injury in 2023, and though she reached the finals at the 2023 Spain Masters Super 300 and Malaysia Masters Super 500 in 2024, she did not win the title.

“I need to maintain my speed. I need to have my power. The women’s singles game is evolving, and after playing for so many years, I think opponents definitely know my game by now. They’ll anticipate it, so it’s crucial to strategise with my coach, having both a plan A and plan B,” she said.

Sindhu’s plan for the 2025 season is to compete in select tournaments to avoid injuries. “I 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.

“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, “I have seen a lot through sport. It was important for me to believe in myself when there were days when I was injured and I didn’t know if I could come back and be 100 per cent. It happened in 2015, when I had an injury, but then I bounced back, and I got a silver at Rio.

“My life has changed a lot since the time I started. I am very grateful for what I have achieved and when I look back, I can say that yes, I have done whatever I could.

More For You

Gill-Shubman-Getty

Shubman Gill anchored India’s innings with a century, helping them post 356 after being sent in to bat. (Photo: Getty Images)

Gill’s ton leads India to 3-0 ODI series sweep over England

INDIA secured a 142-run victory over England in the third ODI on Wednesday, completing a 3-0 series sweep at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Shubman Gill anchored India’s innings with a century, helping them post 356 after being sent in to bat.

Keep ReadingShow less
Jasprit Bumrah

Bumrah, named the 2024 International Cricketer of the Year, has been sidelined since sustaining a lower back injury during the Sydney Test in January. (Photo: BCCI)

Bumrah ruled out of India's Champions Trophy squad, Harshit Rana named replacement

INDIA's Champions Trophy campaign suffered a setback as fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out of the tournament due to an ongoing injury.

Bumrah, named the 2024 International Cricketer of the Year, has been sidelined since sustaining a lower back injury during the Sydney Test in January. The injury also kept him out of the white-ball series against England.

Keep ReadingShow less
shubman-gill-bcci

Shubman Gill plays a shot during the 3rd ODI between India and England in Ahmedabad. (Photo credit: BCCI)

England bowl first in Ahmedabad ODI as India rest key players

ENGLAND captain Jos Buttler won the toss and chose to bowl against India in the third one-day international in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.

England, trailing 2-0 in the three-match series, are aiming for a win ahead of the upcoming Champions Trophy.

Keep ReadingShow less
Rohit-Sharma-BCCI

Rohit brought up his 32nd ODI hundred with a six off Rashid but was dismissed soon after, caught by Rashid off a Livingstone full toss. (Photo: BCCI)

Rohit’s century powers India to ODI series win over England

INDIA secured the ODI series against England with a four-wicket win in the second match on Sunday, taking an unassailable 2-0 lead ahead of the Champions Trophy. Captain Rohit Sharma led the chase with a 90-ball 119, helping India reach the 305-run target in 44.3 overs.

A floodlight failure delayed India’s innings for 30 minutes, but it did not affect Rohit, who struck seven sixes and 12 fours. Earlier, England posted 304 all out with one ball remaining, opting to bat first at Barabati Stadium.

Keep ReadingShow less
Northern-Superchargers-Getty

Ben Stokes and Matthew Short of Northern Superchargers walk out to bat during The Hundred match between Manchester Originals and Northern Superchargers on August 11, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo: Getty Images)

Sunrisers Hyderabad to acquire Northern Superchargers in £100 million deal

INDIAN Premier League franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad is set to become the first full owners of an English Hundred team after agreeing to buy Yorkshire’s Northern Superchargers for a reported £100 million.

The Sun Group will be the third IPL-linked investor in the eight-team Hundred competition, following Reliance Industries, which owns Mumbai Indians, and RPSG, which runs Lucknow Super Giants.

Keep ReadingShow less