Badminton News: Indian women’s singles star PV Sindhu is a great role model for many reasons, but one that stands out is her determination to get back to the top after recovering from injury.
And that’s something Malaysian players can emulate, especially those who suffer from physical setbacks, said former England champion Mohd Hafiz Hashim.
Hafiz is currently in India with Suchitra Badminton Academy in Hyderabad as a club coach and occasionally coaches 2019 world champion Sindhu.
PV Sindhu briefly returned to his club as part of their preparations for the Sudirman Cup in Suzhou, China from May 14-21.
India are in Group C with Malaysia, Taiwan and Australia and only the top two will advance to the last eight.
Hafiz said PV Sindhu’s commitment to the game was exemplary.
“I try to help him every time he comes to this club, right now we are doing a few sessions,” Hafiz said.
“I already coached him in the PBL (Premier Badminton League) in 2013-14 in India and now we have caught up. He is a great person on and off the pitch, very respectful and humble.”
“He has been training very well after coming back from an injury that sidelined him for six months last year.
Sindhu, who has only competed at the Malaysia Open this year, is recovering from a broken left leg.
“His goal now is to reduce his weight a bit more and constantly improve his skills. He is working hard and his goal is to qualify for the 2024 Olympics in Paris. He is still India’s number 1 and opportunities are always open for him.”
Following an injury and a break from tournaments, Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic silver medalist Sindhu fell to 12th place in the world rankings. At the peak of his career he was ranked No. 2 but with his steady improvement he was quick to move back into the top five.
As for Hafiz, 40, he has calmed down after taking over as coach three months ago.
“It’s getting better and better for me here. I coached the senior and junior teams,” he said.
“We have new talents here, like world number 99 Karthikey Gulshan, Ansal Yadav, Yash Yogi, Abhiyanhs Singh and Saahas Kumar.”
“Their average age is around 19-23 and they are performing well in training and also in Senior India tournaments,” added Hafiz who has also sent his players to international tournaments including International Satellite and Challenge. .
Tags: PV Sindhu, Hafiz Hashim, Sudirman Cup 2023
