Regularly peeping into past glory keeps Sindhu hungry for more success

NEW DELHI: When the going gets tough for P V Sindhu, the star badminton player dives into her highly successful past to seek inspiration to keep going in her quest for more glory.

The 29-year-old has in her cabinet every trophy and medal that is there to be won. She is one of the only three Indians to win back-to-back Olympic medals, and is also a world champion besides claiming podium finishes at Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.

But Sindhu struggled to repeat her international success last season, the medal-less show at the Paris Olympics raising doubts about her future in the sport she dominated for so long.

For Sindhu however, speculations don't matter. She still steps on the court with the same passion that has catapulted her to the zenith of world badminton.

"Of course yes," Sindhu told PTI in an interview when asked if she still has the hunger to keep going.

"I am saying this because when you see those wins, how happy it makes you and how much confidence it gives you, that itself will take you to another level. Seeing wins again and again keeps that hunger going, so definitely yes.

"There are some clips when you are really young when you look at it, it feels like wow, you know, you have done so much and you know why can't I do it more? You question yourself, and that's when it all starts, so yes," Sindhu said during an interaction facilitated by sports brand PUMA, which has signed her as an ambassador.

Sindhu understands that she will have to endure plenty of struggles but she can't afford to lose hope.

"I have seen a lot through sport, it was important for me to believe in myself when there were days where I was injured and I didn't know if I can come back and I can be my 100%, which 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 and till now I have had a lot of awards, rewards which has given me a lot of confidence. I am very grateful for whatever I have achieved and when I look back, I can tell that yes I have done whatever I could."

Wins and losses are part of the learning curves. So what has been the biggest learning for Sindhu?

"Being patient. That has taught me a lot in life, being patient and wait for the right time because sometimes game teaches you to be patient no matter what.

"You have to keep waiting till you get whether it is success or whether it is the right time or whether it is the right shot... you have to wait for the right time to do the right thing."

Sindhu said self-belief is something an athlete can't do without, indicating that she is trying to overcome the ongoing tough phase with the same virtue.

"It hits you when you are actually not able to win or not able to get that success or when you are actually at your lows. That is when it is important for an athlete to stay there and keep believing in yourself. There were days when I lost matches which were very very close.

"There were days where I was like why am I losing, what is happening, can I bounce back, can I come back stronger and especially lowest is when it hits you really hard. I was doubting myself but people around me were very very supportive in terms of they were like it's okay, believe in yourself, you can do it.

"I am very lucky to say that I have parents who are sports persons and they know what it is and what it takes because they have experienced so much that they tell me that this is what happens and you need to be stronger and you need to come back stronger."

Sindhu was candid in admitting that digesting defeats is still difficult for her despite so much success in her career.

"It does hurt, it does hurt at any point of time even though let's say if you don't have to prove anything, or if you have achieved everything and what is left you might ask me what else is left?

"For me I feel that there is a lot of time left and I can win a lot of tournaments and I can play for so many more years because if you are fit and if you are injury free I think passion towards the sport itself will take you much more longer."

She also emphasised that the relationship between a coach and an athlete needs to be very clear in terms of what is going in your head on and off court.

"A coach needs to understand even if I am not able to say what is happening in the court. As a coach you know he understands what you feel. So it is very important to also have that trust between a coach and an athlete."

Sindhu has a clear plan for the 2025 season when she will compete in select tournaments to avoid injuries.

"There are a lot of tournaments every month. We are out for like 15 days, 20 days. Definitely I will pick and choose a tournament because as you said I need to stay injury free. That is very important. If you stay injury free that's when you go and give your 100%.

"There are some tournaments where BWF says that you have to play, but apart from that, the players are also smart enough to pick and choose tournaments."

Sindhu said she is still evolving as a player, working on her skills because "the game has been changing so much."

"People have become really strong in their defense so to break that, you have to work on that. You have to also work on defense. Not everyone gives you chance to attack. Because I'm a tall player and I have a good reach, so not everyone will give you a chance to attack, so accordingly you have to make changes."

Sindhu also hoped that the gulf between her and the next generation will be bridged sooner than later.

"I am hoping that the gap closes soon. There are a lot of youngsters I have seen in the Syed Modi (recent tournament she won) doing really well.

"I would say Unnati and also Malavika are doing really well right now. Shreyanshi is doing really well so there are so many. If I have to name, there is Tanvi Sharma also.

"It's very, very important to have the right guidance. Especially to the parents out there, I want to say that if they feel by putting their kids into academies from where successful athletes have come, their kids will also become champions is not right.

"Every athlete has a different mindset, every athlete has a different style of play, different thinking, so they need to understand that.

To conclude, Sindhu said that what is common between her and PUMA is "commitment towards the sport."