Sports

PV Sindhu Exclusive : I will give my best in the final

PV Sindhu has reached her third successive final at the World Championship. And this time, the badminton star from India would hope she changes her place on the podium. The last two editions saw her winning the silver medal and against Okuhara on Sunday, Sindhu would hope to play a flawless game. 

T S Sudhir spoke to PV Sindhu in Basel, a couple of hours after she had got past the semi final barrier. 

Sudhir : Congratulations on yet another final appearance. This is also your fifth medal at the world championship. That is a record having equalled the legendary Zhang Ning in winning five medals at the world championship. Something about the world championship that you raise the bar and bring out your best. Is that how you see it? 

Sindhu : I am happy with my win. This is the fifth time I am winning a medal. Hopefully I do well tomorrow. Every tournament is important for me and it is not over yet. I will give my best and get going this time.

Important Read : What goes into Project PV Sindhu

Sudhir : This is your third consecutive final at the World championship. Expectations are high that you will get a medal of a different hue this time. How different is 2019 from 2017 and 2018? 

Sindhu : Compared to 2017 and 2018, all are different tournaments, different environments, Every World championship has been very different for me. I hope 2019 also proves different. Hopefully I will change the colour. 

Sudhir : This is an Olympic year.  We are exactly a year away from Tokyo. And therefore this performance is so much more important. How does the preparation work out differently keeping the Olympics in mind?

Sindhu : Yes, it is an Olympic year, a qualification year. Everyone is working hard, it is not going to be easy this time. But before that it is step by step, one tournament at a time. There is still time for Olympics. It is more important to focus on the now. 

Sudhir : What changes has Korean coach Kim Ji Hyun brought into your game? If one were to look at how you were the night before the final in the last two editions at the World championship, how different are you as a player today?

Sindhu : I have been training under the Korean coach for the last couple of months and she has been doing really well. Every coach comes with a different mindset. I have been improving on few strokes. I have also been learning about my mistakes committed in the past and working on them. It is definitely helping me out.

Sudhir : What advice did Pullela Gopichand give you before the semi-final or during the match today? 

Sindhu : He was very sportive and motivating all the time. When I was losing points, he was just telling me what had to be done. He was telling me what mistakes I was making. Apart from that, everything went off very well.

Sudhir : What happens between now and tomorrow’s finals? The game part, the physical fitness part are taken care of but how do you mentally prepare yourself for the big match? 

Sindhu : Today it was a good match, tomorrow it is not going to be easy. Definitely I have to be prepared for a big match. It is against Nozomi Okuhara. So I hope it will be a good match and I will do well. I have to give my best, play my game.   

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