Can new coach help PV Sindhu reclaim glory?

My biggest goal is to get PV Sindhu back on the podium: Anup Sridhar

PV Sindhu still has the hunger to succeed, and the primary aim is to help her regain consistency, says her new coach Anup Sridhar, who has been roped in by the two-time Olympic medallist on a trial basis following the Paris Games.

Sindhu, who returned from the French capital without a medal for the first time in three Olympics, has been training under Sridhar, a Beijing Olympian, for the past three weeks at the Gachibowli Stadium in Hyderabad.

"I spoke with Sindhu's team a few weeks ago, and she has been training under me in Hyderabad since the start of this month. We've made significant progress, and in two weeks, we'll head to tournaments in Europe," the 41-year-old Sridhar, who also briefly coached Lakshya Sen, told PTI.

Sindhu lost in the pre-quarters to China's He Bingjiao at the Paris Games and will restart her BWF world tour season with the European leg, which includes the USD 420,000 Arctic Open in Vantaa, Finland (October 8-13), and the USD 850,000 Denmark Open (October 15-20) in Odense.

"I'm taking it week by week," said Sridhar, who has been brought on board for the remainder of the season after Indonesian Agus Dwi Santoso's contract ended post-Paris Olympics.

"Since we haven't committed to anything long-term, it's hard to plan for 2025. However, there are a couple of tournaments in 2025 that Sindhu should aim to peak at," he said.

"You can plan for physical peaks, but not for form. I have my eye on a few tournaments next year, but the immediate focus is to enhance her consistency and get her back on the podium -- that's the big goal."

Sindhu last won the Singapore Open and Commonwealth Games in 2022 and finished as runner-up at the Madrid Spain Masters in 2023 and the Malaysia Masters Super 500 in May this year.

Reflecting on his run so far, Sridhar, an Arjuna awardee, said: "I've spent this time understanding her situation, and I'm pleased to report that she's completely physically fit, with no signs of aches or pains."

"We've followed our training schedule without missing any sessions. I'm working on helping her unlearn certain things while introducing new elements to her game."

Sindhu suffered a knee injury during the French Open in October last year and returned to competitive play just five months before the Paris Games.

"She faced a tough couple of years with some good results but lacked consistency during that period," Sridhar said.

"In just three weeks, I've noticed decent improvements, but there's still more work to be done," said Sridhar, a 2007 Asian Championships bronze-medallist.

"If we can get her to a level where she's consistently advancing past the early rounds, regardless of her draw or opponent, she'll have a realistic chance of making a strong comeback."

Sridhar said Sindhu has accomplished nearly everything in badminton.

"...yet her hunger remains. She works extremely hard and is a great role model for the rest of India's badminton players."

Sindhu made a series of coaching changes in the lead-up to the Paris Olympics. After clinching a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, her South Korean coach, Park Tae Sang, parted ways with her in early 2023.

Following this, Sindhu traveled with SAI coach Vidhi Chaudhary for a few months before appointing former All England champion Muhammad Hafiz Hashim as her new coach.

However, this partnership was short-lived, leading Sindhu to relocate to Bengaluru to train under Prakash Padukone. Padukone's academy, PPBA, then hired Agus Dwi Santoso to guide Sindhu through the Olympics.

South Korean great Lee Hyun Il roped in as Sindhu's consulting coach

Double Olympic medallist shuttler PV Sindhu will have South Korean great Lee Hyun Il as her consulting coach on interim basis as she bolstered her coaching team ahead of her anticipated return to action next month.

The move came after the recent appointment of Anup Sridhar as Sindhu's interim coach. The duo will be in Sindhu's coaching team till December 2024. A decision on a permanent coaching team is expected by that time.

Hyun Il, a former world No. 1 and Sindhu's teammate during the Premier Badminton League (PBL), brings vast international experience and a reputation for meticulous preparation. He is a 2006 world championships bronze medallist in singles and has two Asian Games team gold medals in 2002 and 2014.

His inclusion, alongside Sridhar, was aimed at creating a dynamic coaching duo that blends experience, tactical precision, and deep knowledge of the sport. Both the coaches will help in Sindhu's preparation as she begins her post-Olympic campaign and aims to sharpen her game for the upcoming European circuit.

"I'm thrilled to have Anup and Lee Hyun Il joining my team in this crucial period. Anup's understanding of Indian badminton and his strategic approach have always impressed me, and I look forward to working closely with him," Sindhu said in a release.

"Having Lee, with his meticulous preparation and legendary experience, is an honour. I've always respected his attention to detail, and I can't wait to learn from him during these next few months."

On joining Sindhu's coaching team, Hyun Il said, "Working with PV Sindhu was an easy decision. Our previous partnership in the PBL highlighted her fierce determination and exceptional talent.

"I am excited to contribute to her growth and success in the upcoming tournaments."

The decision to hire a new coaching team followed the conclusion of coach Agus Dwi Santoso's contract with the Sports Authority of India.

Recognising the need to streamline her travelling team, Sindhu is searching for a coach who can actively spar with her and contribute to her day-to-day training.

Sindhu also acknowledged Santoso's contribution to her badminton journey.

"I truly appreciate coach Agus for all the effort he invested in preparing me for the Olympics. His hard work and commitment were instrumental in getting me back from injury and ready for competition. He became more than just a coach; he became a friend and a guide."

"I will miss those early morning training sessions with him and will always look up to him. I will also greatly miss that typical Indonesian energy that made three-hour training sessions more fun, as well as our chats after matches and long chants on flights."

"Any athlete who works with him will be lucky to have such a dedicated coach."