India’s ace shuttler PV reveals how she’s adapting to evolution of women’s game which now involves longer rallies instead of fast, aggressive plays
PV Sindhu during the Indonesian Open in Jakarta on June 5. Pic/Getty Images
Blistering aggression has given way to stamina-testing rallies in women’s singles badminton, says ace Indian shuttler P V Sindhu, who is reinventing her game to keep pace with the evolving tempo while navigating a challenging lean phase. This year has been far from ideal for the two-time Olympic-medallist. She has endured four first-round exits and three second-round losses, with a lone quarter-final appearance at the India Open in Jan being a rare bright spot.
‘Defence is more important’
“The women’s singles [competition] has completely changed. Initially it was more of attack and fast rallies, [now] it has become much more defensive with long rallies and long matches,” Sindhu told reporters at the Sports Authority of India Centre here. The former world champion, currently training under Indonesian coach Irwansyah Adi Pratama for close to six months, is making subtle yet significant adjustments to her game.
“Back then I used to attack, but now every athlete is good in their defence. I am working on how patient I need to be to maintain the rally for 30, 40 strokes. I need to keep a check on my physical fitness, endurance. Because I need to stay on the court for longer. So, I’ve been working on these changes and it’s good that Irwansyah is training me,” she said. Sindhu, 29, has also become more mindful of how her body responds to the physical grind.
Can’t beat age
“It’s not going to be the same as it was 10 years ago. I need to make sure my body is able to take the load, otherwise there are chances of injury and it’s hard to come back. Earlier we used to play four-five tournaments consecutively, But now you can’t just play five-six tournaments in a row. You’d rather skip a tournament and train harder and then come back stronger,” Sindhu said.
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