By Mohammed Shafeeq

Basking in Olympic glory, star shuttler Pusarla Venkata Sindhu has now set her eyes on the World Superseries, the only trophy missing from her cabinet, while becoming the World No.1 remains her ultimate goal.

The tall 5′ 11″ silver medallist in women’s singles badminton at Rio Olympics is conscious of the fact that she will be the most marked player by her opponents in the upcoming tournaments.

The Hyderabadi, who returned to a hero’s welcome by both the Telangana and Andhra Pradesh governments, said that her immediate aim is the Superseries. “My immediate aim is the Superseries. I will focus on that,” said the 21-year-old who finished runner-up at the Denmark Open last year.

Also Read: Rio 2016 | P V Sindhu goes one up on Saina Nehwal

For the World No.10, reaching the top rank remained her ultimate goal, which she had set for herself in 2012 after breaking into the top 25. “If you keep winning tournaments, you automatically become number one. I will have to definitely work hard and give my best,” said Sindhu, the only double bronze medallist from India at the World Championships.

For Sindhu, whose parents are volleyball players, badminton was a passion when she held the racquet at the age of eight.

“It was a step-by-step journey. First the national circuit, then the international circuit. I was the first (Indian girl) to win a bronze at the World Championships. Slowly I got confidence in myself. I was down with injuries, ups and downs but then finally I made it.”

Her coach Pullela Gopichand believes that she is still far from a complete transformation. Which are the areas she thinks she needs to work on? 

“No particular one thing. I had been playing all the strokes and it is very important that you learn and you keep on learning.”

Does winning an Olympics silver increase the pressure to perform well every time she goes on court? 

“Nothing like pressure but it will depend on how I prepare. It will also depend on the strategy I have to make keeping in view what happens in a particular match.”

Sindhu, who went down fighting at the Rio Olympics final to Carolina Marin of Spain, the current World No.1, said there was no pressure in the crunch game.

“There was no pressure. I played my game. It was a good game. I congratulated her. She played aggressively.”

How did she feel after taking a 1-0 lead in the first game?

“I never thought it’s over. I believed in myself. There was one more game. I knew that she is not going to leave (the contest). She came back and the third game was equally good but she took the lead, maintained it and won.”

Was she disappointed at the loss?

“I was not. In the final game, I thought I can come back as I did in the first game after trailing 16-19. I should appreciate her. She played with the intention of winning. Both of us were fighting equally hard. Only one can win and it was her day,” Sindhu said.

“Gopi sir told me he is very happy. ‘It was a good week for you, I don’t want you to be upset, we did not think we will come thus far and you played brilliantly well’.”

Which was the toughest match for you?

“Every match was equally tough since the first round like the one against Michelle Li (Canada). The pre-quarterfinal was also tough. Tai Tzu-ying (Chinese Taipi) was not an easy player. Then the quarterfinal against World number two Wang Yihan (China). In the past, I won few matches and she won few. It was same against Nozomi Okuhara (Japan) whom I defeated in the semifinal.”

“I feel each one was equally tough and each one was totally different because everybody has a different style of game and different strategy. I never thought I will win an Olympic medal. I took it one match at a time.”

Sindhu also felt that the Chinese are not unbeatable as players from others countries too were playing well and coming up.

“This time I think there were no Chinese in the women’s singles. They played well. (Defending champion) Li Xuerui was injured but ups and downs are always there in life. For me particularly, the match with Wang Yihan was good. She did not leave (any chances). She is a very experienced player.”

Things have changed a lot for Sindhu with the silver medal — and it’s not just the cash rewards of Rs 13.5 crore and countless other gifts one is talking about.

“It’s truly different feeling. I feel my life has changed. I never thought I will get the medal at Olympics. It was my first Olympics. I am really happy. It’s a dream come true.”

She is also elated over the fact that from the country’s top leaders to celebrities, everybody rooted for her. Amitabh Bachan tweeted that he wants to take a selfie with her while Rajnikanth said he had become her fan.

“It’s is a great thing. It made my day. Today I was retweeting to them to thank them. Millions of people supported me. I think their support, blessings and prayers helped me,” Sindhu concluded.

IANS

By Rajesh Sahu

After taming world number 2 Wang Yihan, P V Sindhu thrashed world number six and reigning All England Champion, Nozomi Okuhara of Japan, to reach the final of women’s singles at Rio Olympics – the  first Indian badminton player to do so. The 21 year old won in straight games 21-19, 21-10 to set up the gold medal clash with world number one Carolina Marin of Spain. At the least Sindhu is assured of a silver medal, one better than Saina’s bronze at the 2012 London Games. Considering the form Sindhu is in, even a gold medal seems a distinct possibility. 

A Brand new Sindhu   

For the Rio Games, Sindhu has decided to shun her usual boring shorts and t-shirt. In the semifinal she was  seen sporting an elegant sleeveless yellow dress. Her game and her attitude on court has also been refreshingly different. 

With her reach (she is almost 5.11 inches tall) and aggressive wrist snaps and stroke-play, Sindhu looked to dominate her higher ranked opponents. It’s Sindhu’s brand new game; she no longer looks vulnerable to sharp drop shots. And not someone who would earlier win a few quick points and then follow it up with a series of unforced errors. All that has changed.

At Rio, Sindhu has been more consistent, cutting down on unforced errors drastically. And even while trailing, she doesn’t look lost and tired anymore. This could very well be because of her high fitness level. 

The Making of a Champion

The first time I visited the Gopichand Academy was way back in 2009 to do a special show on Saina Nehwal for reaching the world ranking number 2. We spent a good three days at the academy, with our cameras firmly focused on Saina. When Sindhu slowly rose through the ranks in the next couple of years, I went back to have look at the training sessions shots we had taken and found a tall and lanky shuttler playing doubles alongside Saina and both having fun on court. The next time I would visit the academy after three years, it was all business for Sindhu, practicing hard at her singles game but Saina still hogged most of Gopi’s attention. 

The Gopi Factor  

When ace shuttler Saina Nehwal decided to part ways with Pullela Gopichand, opting to be coached by Vimal Kumar instead, Gopi had to prove a point. Gopi had given his all to create a world-beater in Saina. The bitter parting and Saina citing lack of attention from the national coach at the Gopichand Academy must have hurt.     

That prompted Gopi’s undivided attention to focus on Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth. Both have worked tirelessly under Gopi’s guidance. The tall lanky Hyderabad girl is now transformed into a feisty world-beater. 

It clearly is reflected in her Rio performance. Saina’s early exit did also put the focus firmly on Sindhu. And she has risen to the occasion and how. 

She might have won back to back medals at the World Championships but her Rio performance is something else. As Sindhu prepares for the final against the world number one Carolina Marin, this is what she had to say “My target is gold and I promise to play my heart out against Carolina Marin.” Looking at her performance in the previous rounds one wouldn’t expect anything less.