PV Sindhu hires Indonesia's Hendri Saputra as temporary coach

The former head coach of the Indonesian badminton team has been roped in for two weeks. But his tenure may be extended depending on performance.

PV Sindhu has tied hands with renowned Indonesian coach Hendri Saputra temporarily after parting ways with South Korean Park Tae Sang. According to the reports from Amarujala, Sindhu will leave for Jakarta in a day or two, along with her Indian coach Vidhi Chowdhary.

Apart from Vidhi, Sindhu's overseas coach along with her physio Eva Baddam will be accompanying her. Two-time Olympic medallist will prepare with Hendry till April 22. If everything goes well, Hendri Saputra can also be roped into a full-time role.

Hendry was the head coach of the Indonesian national badminton team for seven years from 2014 to 2021. He has coached 2018 Jakarta Asian Games gold medalist Jonathan Christie and Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist Anthony Sinsuka Ginting along with a few other male shuttlers. Sindhu had a good partnership with Park Tae Sang (winning the bronze medal under his guidance at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and a gold medal at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games).  

Performance so far (2023 season)

PV Sindhu is going through a rough patch since her gold medal-winning performance at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games. She sustained an injury which kept her away for the entire 2022 season (post-CWG).

After the successful completion of the rehab, Sindhu started the 2023 season by participating in Malaysian Masters (BWF 1000). The 27-year-old lost in the opening rounds of the Malaysian Masters, Indian Open, and the prestigious All England Badminton Championships. 

Going further into the European leg, Sindhu reached the pre-quarterfinals at the Swiss Open and finished runner-up at the Madrid Spain Masters. She finished the European tour on a positive note by reaching the final (first in 2023). The Olympic qualification cycle is set to start in April and Sindhu remains the only hope from the women’s singles section for India.

Upcoming Tournaments

The Asian Badminton Championships will be held in April which will be followed by Sudirman Cup in May after which the BWF Tour (Asian leg) will commence (after a month's break).