PV Sindhu has teamed up with badminton legend Prakash Padukone as her mentor ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics, which is her next aim.
At 28, PV Sindhu, the ace badminton player, needs no introduction. She has brought several laurels to India, including two Olympic medals, one World Championship gold, and medals at the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games. Looking ahead, her next aim is the 2024 Paris Olympics. To prepare for this mega event, she has teamed up with badminton legend Prakash Padukone as her mentor. Although PV Sindhu has recently faced struggles on the court, she is confident of making a strong comeback.
In a recent podcast uploaded on the YouTube channel TRS Clips, PV Sindhu faced questions about her personal life away from the court.
When questioned about her relationship status, PV Sindhu stated, “I am single.”
She continued, “Right now, my focus is solely on badminton. My ultimate goal is the Olympics.”
“I am currently focused solely on badminton. My ultimate goal is the Olympics,” she added.
When asked again if there is any part of her that desires a partner, PV Sindhu responded, “I never really thought about it like, ‘Oh, yeah, I need a partner’ in that way. It’s destiny, whatever is written here,” she said, pointing to her forehead.
She was asked again, “Have you dated anyone?”
“No, not really,” replied the ace badminton player. Upon further prodding, she added, “There is nothing good or bad about it. Life goes on. If it will happen, it will happen.”
In the pursuit of a third Olympic medal, PV Sindhu, the accomplished Indian shuttler, will relocate her training base from Hyderabad to Bengaluru. She aims to train under the legendary Prakash Padukone in preparation for the Paris Games.
After a week-long training stint under Padukone in September, Sindhu hinted before the Asian Games that she would continue her training under him. The 28-year-old, who is currently nursing a niggle in her left knee, officially confirmed the move in a recent social media post.
“On ‘X’, formerly Twitter, for those wondering and constantly asking me, the cat is finally out of the bag!!,” she wrote.
The former world champion wrote, “Prakash sir is assuming the mentor role in my setup. I started training with him at the end of August, and it’s been uphill ever since.”
“He’s more than a mentor; he’s my guide, my guru, and, above all, a true friend. I wholeheartedly believe he possesses the magic to bring out the absolute best in my game.”
“I am so grateful he reached out to me with one call when I was in Japan, and we’ve built on that connection exceptionally well. Dear Sir, I AM PUMPED!! Looking forward to training with you! Let’s get to work,” wrote Sindhu, who won a silver at the Rio Olympics under chief coach Pullela Gopichand.
In February, Sindhu separated from Korean coach Park Tae-Sang, who played a crucial role in her winning the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
The shuttler from Hyderabad collaborated with SAI coach Vidhi Chaudhary for some time before enlisting Malaysia’s former All-England Commonwealth Games champion Muhammad Hafiz Hashim as her traveling coach.
Recovering from a sore left knee, Sindhu has chosen a protected rank of No. 10, which will be frozen in the BWF standings until her recovery is complete.
She sustained the injury to her left knee and withdrew during her second-round women’s singles match against Thailand’s Supanida Katethong at the French Open on October 26.
