LOVE ALL, PLAY: PV Sindhu should be able to peak as a player even after her marriage

Love All, Play. Badminton queen PV Sindhu turns bride today. She will be marrying Venkata Datta Sai in Udaipur. The marriage ceremony, followed by a reception in Hyderabad next week will be attended by the crème de la crème. From a fans’ perspective, Sindhu getting married is also significant as she vowed to continue playing a sport where she won two Olympic medals, silver in Rio 2016 and bronze in Tokyo 2021.

Sindhu had a mixed few years after that, when she got injured at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022. This was followed by a not-so-high performance at the Asian Games in Hangzhou in 2023. She was aspiring to go for a medal, again, this year at the Paris 2024 Olympics. No excuses, despite bringing on board her best support team, which included mentor Prakash Padukone and Vimal Kumar, Sindhu did not win a medal.

Many felt, she was past prime. No, not Sindhu and her family, which will now also include her husband, who has been following her career. Recently Sindhu won the Syed Modi badminton championship in Lucknow to once again assert the spark is still there in her. All those who saw Sindhu play in Lucknow said she is fit and raring to go. She has chosen a new support staff team and is hoping she can peak at the Asian Games in 2026 in Nagoya, Japan.

What was also heartening to read in an interview with badminton ‘Guru’ Pullela Gopichand recently is how he feels Sindhu can prolong her career. There has been a chatter at home, who after Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu. Gopichand has asserted Sindhu can stretch her career and 29 is not an age where she has to think of quitting the sport. Marriage has been planned in such a way Sindhu can resume playing on the BWF Tour from January 2025. Interestingly, Gopichand has made observations as to how modern science and improvements in medical science does prolong an athlete’s career.

He has cited Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic as case studies and how they were able to push their careers’ late. Nadal retired recently but given his battle with fitness and excessive play on demanding surfaces like hard court, he kept trying. At the same time, this year, the way Novak came back from a knee surgery in quick time at the French Open is proof being strong from the beginning and training hard does pay.

Not many would know, each time Sindhu has dealt with an injury, she has bounced back strongly. Both her parents have played sports, so she gets a fresh impetus each time she returns. But then, marriage is also necessary. If one uses female tennis players as a case study, Sania Mirza included, so many of them kept performances going. Perhaps, the biggest comeback of all was by Serena Williams, now retired and Naomi Osaka, both post-partum.

Sindhu has always been focussed and still the best at home. Some have been critical of her methods, which includes frequent changes of coaches and physios. That is her choice. Even during the dark days of the Covid pandemic, when India was in shutdown, Sindhu was training to stay fit. Nothing was open at that time, as playing facilities were shut. Sindhu used a private academy to get back her rhythm. If Gopichand says Sindhu still has gas left in her tank, that is good. He is mentoring so many players. The reference he made to many more number of players competing at the Nationals is a sign new champions will also emerge.

India has plenty of talent in badminton. Maybe, if the badminton league is revived, it can also make a big difference. For the time being, the focus is still on Sindhu, the girl who will tie the knot today. Badminton his Sindhu’s first love, and she will continue.