Working on endurance, long rallies to come back stronger: PV Sindhu

Working on endurance, long rallies to come back stronger: PV Sindhu

Bengaluru: It’s tough not to let a prolonged slump in form affect you, even if you happen to be a two-time Olympic medallist. Badminton ace PV Sindhu tries hard to put up a brave face each time the conversation veers towards her indifferent run that has lasted for over two years now, but there’s no masking the disappointment.

The window until her next tournament in July has allowed PV Sindhu the time to have a closer inspection of her physical parameters at the SAI facility in Bengaluru. (PUMA)

This year, out of the nine tournaments she has appeared in, Sindhu has made the quarter-finals only once. Since the Paris Olympics, out of her 14 appearances, only once has she gone the distance and won the title. Earlier this year, she began training under Indonesian coach Irwansyah but the results, so far, have not shown an upswing.

“Of course, these results bother me, but there’s been an improvement. I think 5-6 tournaments back I was losing a bit too easily but there’s been improvement with some tough matches. That’s the positive I can take and work on what’s required,” she said. And that includes being in tune with the evolving game and preparing the mind and body accordingly.

The six-week window between Indonesia Open -- her last tournament where she exited in the second round -- and the upcoming Japan Open from July 15 has given her time to visit the SAI facility here for a closer inspection of her physical parameters. On Thursday, she underwent an isokinetic test at SAI’s biomechanics lab to gauge muscle strength around her shoulder, knee and hip joints.

“Fitness-wise, everything is going well. The training is going well too. We have two more weeks before we start with Japan and China. After a long time we have got some break, so we can prepare well for the tournaments. It is important to continuously assess yourself. The women’s game has changed a lot over the past few years.”

“Initially, it was more about attacks and fast rallies but now it’s about longer rallies. The game has slowed down. I need to change my training schedule accordingly. Earlier, I would look to attack a lot but now every player has a good defence. I need to stay patient and be able to last 30-40-stroke rallies regularly,” she explained.

A longer game demands better endurance, and with a body battered by relentless grind for over a decade, Sindhu admitted that the challenge is immense. “I need to tailor my physical fitness and endurance to withstand long periods on court. So that way we have been doing changes and it’s good that Irwansyah has come and is training me,” she said.

Having medalled at almost all major tournaments, the challenge, she reckoned, is to maintain peak performance. It’s been 12 years since she first won a World Championships medal, and the toll to stay at the top has been immense. Her waning prowess has also brought with it the realisation that things will perhaps never be the same as they were in her halcyon years.

“I’m happy that I could do everything in my career. I won possibly every medal. I know people might say you have won everything there’s no pressure, but I know that I need to maintain my level. I understand it’s not going to be the same as it was 10 years back,” she said.

“Back then I would do a different type of training but now it has to be different. So, I need to understand that as a player. I understand that things might change and I’ll have to adapt. In every session, I need to make sure the body is in the right direction and I am able to take the load, otherwise there are chances of injury and it’s hard to come back.”