There is no doubt that PV Sindhu is in all probability the finest badminton player the country has produced. In fact, I would unhesitatingly say that she may well be the finest sportsperson overall the country has had the pleasure of hosting for all national awards.
Sindhu has been honoured with the Padma Shree and Padma Bhushan, the Arjuna and the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna.
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From 2009 till almost 2021, she ruled the roost in world badminton and was the most difficult player to compete against. Tall, lanky with strong, long chiselled legs, that propelled her around the court smoothly and easily as she hammered every player in the world with facile ease.
Naturally aggressive, her game was just like her. Aggressive and fast. Using her height and shoulder strength she adopted the basic smash and net game, which brought her 26 international medals including two consecutive medals at Rio and Tokyo games, five medals in world championships including the gold in 2019, five medals in CWG including the individual gold in 2022, two medals at Uber cup and so on.
There are at least 20 titles she has won on the BWF tour including 2 of the Tour finale. We have not included the medals she won as a junior. But her journey to superstardom started with her snatching a medal in the junior Asia badminton championships in 2009.
And who was her coach as she went on a winning spree?
You guessed it right. It was Pullela Gopichand who taught her up from when she was ten years old. Before Gopi came on, a good foundation had been laid by the late Mehboob Ali and SM Arif.
We have heard many times the story of her travelling 50 km to and fro from her home in Mawedpally. This is true but Gopi had seen a spark in her very early.
When I was writing his biography ‘The world beneath his feat ‘ he told me, “Just wait and watch. This girl is world championship material. Very determined, hard-working and very ambitious. She has already become one of the top juniors in the world, she has started defeating top seniors also. She has got the reach and the power required to win the points," way back in 2010/2011.
Gopi had already proved his bonafide as a coach, as Saina Nehwal had shown by climbing up to the No. 2 rank in the world. And this wonderful combination of Gopi and Sindhu lasted till 2019 when Saina opted to train under Kim Ji Hyun of Korea. The Sindhu gopi combination not only brought great laurels to the country but also made Sindhu fabulously rich.
And while Forbes magazine said that PV Sindhu is among the top ten women earning a huge amount of money in sports let us also see the mind-boggling awards and rewards she got after getting silver at the Rio Games and the world championship gold in 2019.
1 Crore from BYJU, 25 Lakhs from BCCI, 50 Lakhs plus land from the Govt of Telangana, 30 Lakhs plus 1000 yard plot plus an offer to join the elite services as Deputy Collector from the Govt of Andhra Pradesh, Bharat Petroleum- 7.5 Lakhs, 20 Lakhs from the Delhi Govt, 5 Lakhs each from govt of MP, Haryana, SAI, BAI, an NRI fan of Sindhu, and AIFF, 3 Lakhs from IOC, 1 Lakh from actor Salman Khan, a BMW car from Sachin Tendulkar, a diamond necklace worth 6 Lakhs from NPC Jweller, 2 Acre land piece from actor Vijay Chandan, Mahindra Thar car from Anand Mahindra.
After the Tokyo games, she got more. Further, she endorses some 14 brands like JBC, Bridgestone tyres, Gatorade, Moov, Bank of Baroda, Myntra, Flipkart, Nokia, Boost, Stayfree, Asian Paints, and LiNing. And yes, she is the brand ambassador of CRPF and Vizag Steel.
And Gopi had been the coach from the beginning when she was a toddler till she played the Rio games.
Now, something has soured in their relationship for sure. Because around this time there are few statements in the press made by her father Ramanna which indicate that all was not well.
Ramanna said that Gopi does not have time for Sindhu. After the 2018 Asian Games, he has not taken any interest in her. Gopi has not provided a good practice partner for Sindhu.
Sindhu has moved out of the academy and training is under Park Tae Sang now at the Gachibowli stadium. Sindhu even went on to say, that leaving the Gopi Academy “is the best decision" she had made. And that Coach Park should continue till the Paris games next year. He has made me a better player. I did not miss Gopi in Tokyo.
All these statements were flying around, but Gopi was typically stoic and quiet, not reacting. He must have felt hurt though.
Gopi however praised the former world champion. " I think overall she is a very strong person physically and has developed strokes over time. And she can run down any opponent ."
So Gopi was her coach for a very long time. He really knows her strong and weak points. He knows her psychology and mental toughness.
Why is she looking weak in all departments of the game?
She has got unflattering results in the major tournaments played till today In 2023.
In the Malaysian Open, she lost to her old nemesis Carolina Marin in a three-game affair with the Spanish winning 21-12/10-21/21-15. In India open, she once again succumbed to last year’s winner Katetjong Supanida of Thailand 14-21/20-22. A first-round defeat awaited her at the all-England where she lost to Zhang Yu Min of China 17-21/11-21.
In the Swiss Open, where she was to defend her title she was bundled out by Indonesian qualifier Kusuma Putri who won 21-16/12-21/21-18. In The Spanish Master, a hapless Sindhu was shown the door by an unknown Greagia Manishka on 8-21/8-21.
So what has gone wrong for her in these past 7-8 months? Can she make a strong comeback and retain her place of glory?
Nine times national champion and twice Olympian Aparna Popat opined, “I think she is not having clarity in her game. She should have a plan in her game. She is going to court without having that self-confidence. You should see that Spanish Masters match where she lost 8-21/8-21. She looked clueless and out of depth."
“But Sindhu has vast experience and I think she is just having a bad patch. I will not be surprised to see her back as champion," he added.
former Asian champion, the legendary Dinesh Khanna, also felt he had closely watched these tournaments.
‘It was indeed sad to see Sindhu play an absolutely clueless game. There was no net play, no thinking. She may have to go back to basics. I also thought that she needs to be mentally strong. She needs to play a game that suits her,’ Khanna said.
So how do we get her back on track?
Firstly and most importantly one has to play to his/her strength. For reasons best known to her and her current coach Park Sae Tang, Sindhu has become a retriever. She is trying to win by running you down. Her game is not that at all.
She used to pulverise her opponents by peppering the opposite court with blistering smashes. Followed by that scream of ecstasy when she got the point. And that scream is not being heard any more. She used to pep herself up brilliantly. Not any more.
Secondly, the game at this high level is a mental dance. Everyone is fit. So players who have self-belief will do better.
The way Sindhu played in the Spanish Master was shocking. She looked like a lamb brought to be slaughtered. She has to work on her mental focus.
Former national chief coach Vimal Kumar said, “Sindhu is just playing out of form. She is only 27 years old and still has good badminton in her. However, why she is playing a slow defensive game these days is mystifying. But I have a strong feeling that she will surely make a comeback."
To be fair she has been beset with injuries from last year’s end and seems to me that she has not recovered fully. But from the end of 2021 we have noticed a great slump in her game.
The 2022 schedule was washed off thanks to the Covid pandemic. The start of the 2023 season has been a nightmare for her. She has been bundled out by very mediocre players.
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Can she make a comeback? That is the million rupee question.
It is difficult but possible. The one person who can bring her back on track is none other than Gopichand who knows her mental strength and game inside out.
Park Tae Sung resigned as her coach in February this year. And with the qualification for the Paris games starting in May this year, there is no time to lose.
If Gopi has to be coaxed, cajoled and caressed let’s do it. Gopi and Sindhu both must know that national glory is much more important.
The BAI president must use his good offices to bring about this togetherness. The combination of Gopi and Sindhu may well bring glory back to Indian badminton.
No one really knows what exactly happened between the two. It is the time to let bygones be bygones. So For India let’s do it.
And as the poet said, “Zindagi ko kuch is tarah aasan bans Diya, Kisi se muaffi mang li, kisi ko muaff kar Diya."
Or as Arnab Goswami would have said “The country wants to know—“
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