What to expect from PV Sindhu at the Tokyo Olympics?

It will be the 25-year-old's second appearance in the quadrennial event.

Ace shuttler PV Sindhu is the only women's singles player from the Indian contingent to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics. Amidst a lot of uncertainty, the mega event is all set to take place between July 23 - August 8 in 2021, after being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Silver Medal winner at Rio, is all set to represent India at Tokyo Olympics after five long years. She is moving the extra mile to put on a medal-winning show at the mega event. Despite a disappointing start in an Olympic year, PV Sindhu will be one of the highest hopes of India at the Olympics.

Moreover, in the long history of the Olympics, no Indian female has ever won medals in consecutive editions of the quadrennial event. The Indian badminton star will need to replicate her best performance to secure a medal in Tokyo. 

Experience 

PV Sindhu made her Olympics debut in Rio 2016 where she scripted history by clinching a Silver Medal. Notably, she became the first Indian individual women athlete to win an Olympic Silver Medal. 

The Tokyo Olympics will witness a more physically and mentally experienced Sindhu as compared to the Rio Games. The 25-year-old has the experience of playing with all the top 10 contenders a couple of times. This will prove to be an added advantage for her as she will be able to devise a strategy according to the opponent. 

Moreover, She is currently training at the Gachibowli Stadium in Hyderabad, which meets all international standards. This is helping her to simulate the match conditions and speed of the shuttle for the upcoming mega event. 

In a virtual interaction with SAI, Sindhu had said, "Back then in 2016, it was a different atmosphere. I didn’t know anything about the feel of competing at the Olympics. Now, responsibilities are a lot more but in Tokyo, I just want to go out there and give my 100%. There will be expectations, yes, but I have to focus on my game."

A strong competition 

It will be an difficult task for her to clinch a medal at Tokyo due to the strong competition at the world's biggest sporting event. She will most likely face the challenge of Akane Yamaguchi, Rachanok Intanon, Chen Yufei, Nozomi Okuhara and Tai Tzu Ying. 

Sindhu has played against all these players on several occasions. While she proved her mettle in some, there were a few occasions that witnessed her losing in the match. Overall, She can use her experience to alternate her game plan against all her opponents. 

After a long break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, She did not have an exceptional start in the 2021 season. Her best performance came when she reached the finals of the Swiss Open, however, she lost against Carolina Marin. 

Meanwhile, Sindhu's ace rival, Carolina Marin will not be defending her Olympic crown due to a knee injury. This has increased the chances of the Indian shuttler to come closer to Olympic glory. 

While PV Sindhu plays relatively poorly at minor tournaments, she comes back stronger in major tournaments - earning four World Championship medals eventually. Therefore, all the fans worldwide will be waiting to see what She brings to the table at the Tokyo Olympics. 

During an interaction, she had said, "In the women’s circuit, the top 1-10 are of the same standard. You can’t take it easy if one player is out with an injury. Tai Tzu-Ying, tricky. Ratchanok Intanon, very skilful. Nozomi Okuhara. Akane Yamaguchi. An Se Young. Really, really good players. Everybody would want to give their 100%. I can’t take it easy, have to keep working hard."

Exceptional fitness 

PV Sindhu is trying to keep no stones unturned for her preparations to win a Gold Medal at the Olympics. Earlier in 2020, she headed to Leicester in the UK for an eight-week training at Gatorade Sports Science Institute. 

Moreover, she is currently training under Korean coach Park Tae Sang at the Gachibowli stadium. The athlete had also acknowledged the fact that all this time, she has been spending on improving her skills and techniques. 

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"Obviously, you are going to take time to learn new techniques. This was a time which is really good and I have really used it. I hope in the Olympics, there will be some new skills," she quipped.

PV Sindhu is thereby pushing herself to win the Gold Medal in Tokyo which she narrowly missed in Rio. The Tokyo Olympics will witness an experienced and determined Sindhu with sole focus on the ultimate Olympic glory.

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