PV Sindhu’s form remains a talking point ahead of the upcoming Asian Games. The Two-time Olympic medallist bagged a historic silver in the last edition of the quadrennial event. However ahead of this edition, the 28-year-old is not at her best of form and it remains a concern. Former Indian Badminton player Trupti Murgunde however hopes it is just a matter of time before she makes a comeback.
Trupti Murgunde, a five-time South Asian Games gold medallist spoke to InsideSport in an exclusive interview. Speaking about Sindhu, she said, “Sindhu is not in her best of form. But it happens. It is very tough for a player to be extremely consistent considering the tight Badminton schedule that we have. I am hoping that she is able to bounce back and give her best.”
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“We shouldn’t put too much pressure on Sindhu”
Sindhu is yet to win a BWF Tournament in 2023. She participated in 15 tournaments so far this year but has lost in the first round in seven of the tournaments. While there is too much scrutiny on her recent performances, Trupti further added, “I think we should just allow her to do her best. She has been there for long and has given the best to the country. There is a period in a player’s life when things don’t work for you. You have to just regain that confidence. We should not put too much pressure on her.”
“Personally, she should also not take too much pressure. That is more important. She should just enjoy playing the sport and the atmosphere,” she said. When asked whether she expects a medal from Sindhu this time, she opined, “I don’t really rule her out of medal contention. We have always seen her doing very well in big tournaments. She has shown her mettle over there. I am just hoping that is the case and would be happy to see her doing well in Asian Games.”
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“Expecting medals from Men’s Individual and team events”
While Sindhu has been struggling with form, India’s Men shuttlers have looked in great touch this season. HS Prannoy has been consistent in Men’s Singles, while Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have four titles this year in Men’s Doubles.
Trupti said she expects a medal from both Prannoy and Chirag-Satwik duo. She also added that the Men’s team has a great opportunity in the team event. “I have more hopes in the Men’s event. As a team, they won the Thomas Cup last year. Also, we have done well in the Asian Badminton Championships as well. So the team composition is extremely good and it is the strongest that we have at the moment.”
“In the Singles too, Prannoy has been doing very well. He is really looking good on the court. With the way he is playing, there is absolutely a great chance. In the Men’s Doubles Chirag and Satwik are the favourites. It is however not going to be easy. Asian Zone is always one of the toughest in Badminton. I would rate the Asian Games on par with the World Championships. Here you will have the best of the players fighting for the medal,” she said.
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‘Recent performances not a big concern’
China Open and Hong Kong Open were the most recent tournaments in the BWF Tour. Indians fared poorly in both the events as none of them made it past the second round. Trupti however said the recent performances are not a big concern ahead of the Asian Games.
She cited the tight schedule and said, “I don’t think so. Because we had the World Championships just before the China Open. Prior to that, we also had two big circuits in Europe and Asia. We had two three important tournaments back to back.”
“The Olympic qualification period is also currently on. Every player is looking to perform well in each and every tournament. Ideally, it gets a bit challenging to perform consistently. Every single tournament in this period is also very crucial. So it has become a bit tricky.”
The Indian shuttlers are currently training at the National camp in Hyderabad. “Now they have got a bit of a break. So I hope they bounce back. Let’s see how they regroup,” concluded Trupti. At the upcoming Asian Games, Badminton action is set to get underway on 28th September with the team event. Individual events will then begin on 2nd October.
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