India’s star shuttler PV Sindhu has taken the country to new heights, bringing a lot of glory to Indian badminton. The shuttler from Hyderabad, a two-time Olympic medal winner, has achieved numerous accolades in her career. However, at the moment, she’s going through a tough phase. PV Sindhu hasn’t been in the best form lately, with injuries impacting her performance. Despite a disappointing Paris Olympic campaign, Sindhu is determined to continue her career.
In a recent development, Sindhu added former World No. 1 Korean Lee Hyun-il to her team as a consultant coach. Along with Anup Sridhar, he will be coaching her. Changing coaches occasionally is not an issue, but frequent changes can be. This is the fourth time Sindhu has changed or added a coach in the last two years, which is actually a big concern for the players.
Good relations with early coaches
PV Sindhu has a long history with her coaches. Her journey began in childhood when Mehboob Ali was her first coach. Mehboob Ali had also coached Saina Nehwal and World Champion Jwala Gutta.
At the age of 15, Sindhu joined Pullela Gopichand’s academy, marking the beginning of a golden partnership. Gopichand, himself an All England Open Badminton Champion, helped Sindhu shape her career. She made her senior debut under him, and together they secured the historic silver medal at the Rio Olympics. Sindhu went on to win more silvers at the World Championships, Commonwealth Games, and Asian Games. Eventually, Gopichand became the chief Indian coach and the two parted ways due to time constraints.
The strings between player and coach fall apart
The cracks in Sindhu’s coach-player relationships began to appear when Kim Ji Hyun joined her team. The pair gelled well, and Sindhu achieved the remarkable feat of winning the BWF World Championship in 2019. However, the partnership ended abruptly as Kim had to return home due to her husband’s illness.
Then came South Korean Park Tae-Sang at the end of 2019. The duo struggled initially, but things improved when Sindhu won the Tokyo Olympics. They also secured BWF World Tour titles and a Commonwealth Games gold medal, but they parted ways in February 2023.
Sindhu was without a coach for five months before Malaysian Muhammad Hafiz Hashim joined. However, the stint didn’t bear much fruit, as Sindhu failed to win a single BWF World Tour title during his tenure.
Stint with Santoso before the Paris Olympics
From January 2024 up until the Paris 2024 Olympics, Sindhu trained under Indonesian legend Agus Dwi Santoso. He helped Sindhu recover from the injury she sustained during the 2022 Commonwealth Games. However, the duo did not find much success, as Sindhu faced early exits in the BWF Tour and a disappointing result in the Paris Olympics.
Following the setback at the marquee tournament, Sindhu appointed Anup Sridhar as her new coach to guide her through the rest of the season on a trial basis.
Sindhu needs stability
PV Sindhu needs to settle down when it comes to selecting coaches. Adapting to a new coach’s style, tactics, and expectations takes time, and frequent changes can disrupt this process. Coaches need time to understand the player’s needs and work on improving their performance. If Sindhu continues to change coaches frequently, it might become difficult for her to achieve the glory she is striving for.
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