PV Sindhu will be under pressure at the Olympics, and winning a medal will be difficult, according to Jwala Gutta.

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Friday, 25th June 2021

PV Sindhu, who won silver at the Rio Olympics, will be under a lot more pressure in Tokyo, and it would be difficult for her to recreate her medal-winning performance due to a lack of match preparation in the lead-up to the main event, according to former doubles player Jwala Gutta. In the run-up to the Rio Olympics, all eyes were on London Olympics bronze medalist Saina Nehwal, but it was Sindhu who astonished the world with her silver medal-winning performance five years ago.

Sindhu, on the other hand, will be carrying a billion dreams this time, as she remains one of the favorites to win a medal in the postponed Tokyo Games, which begin on July 23.

"I hope she receives a medal. “There will undoubtedly be greater pressure on Sindhu than last time," Jwala stated during a panel discussion on "Indian Badminton Prospects." "In the app backstage.

"The environment was very different for Sindhu in Rio; today the situation has completely altered, the spotlight is more on her, and it is up to her to handle this pressure." I'm hoping she responds positively. Rio wasn't easy, and Tokyo won't be any easier. Her game is well-known, and everyone has been watching her."

The fact that players haven't been allowed to play in many competitions this year owing of COVID-19 is also a source of concern, according to Jwala.

"Even before the second wave, the situation for Indians was bleak, with few events taking place in Europe. Sindhu is unique, which is a problem with the Indian system.

"When she spars with someone, it's not on the same level as when she spars with a Chinese or Korean team of 20-30 players." Whether it's Tai Tzu Ying or the Chinese, I'm confident they're putting in a lot of effort. Koreans are also performing admirably. Thai women are performing admirably. Likewise, the Japanese.

"Sindhu was dealing with a personal issue with coach confusion, so there was no continuity in the way things should have been before the Olympics." Our players didn't get enough match practise since Indians were barred from travelling owing to COVID, which is the country's worst disadvantage."

Also Read: Sania Mirza's Tokyo Olympics Preparation: "Explosive Movements, Agility Stuff"

Sindhu, according to Jwala, should go over all of her previous matches' videos and work on her strategy.

"Every tournament, the strategy changes, and I hope she's sitting back and watching her matches against top players, who she's won and lost against in the past. If I were Sindhu, I'd work on my strategy and mental toughness because everyone in the top 20 is physically equal."

B Sai Praneeth, a bronze medalist at the World Championships, and Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, the world number 10 men's doubles combo, have also qualified for the Olympics.

"I've always liked Sai's game and always believed in him, but the problem is he never believed in himself," Jwala said. "Now, after the World Championship bronze, he's starting to believe in himself. There's still inconsistency, but I'm hoping he performs well."

"Chirag and Satwik are juniors with a long way to go in their careers. They have nothing to lose, so they should go all out and give their all without hesitation. They can take advantage of this situation because no one is likely to be talking about them."

Jwala questioned chief national coach Pullela Gopichand's numerous duties in the country's badminton setup once more, claiming that India will never produce quality players unless this "conflict of interest" is resolved.

"The Chief Coach is unable to operate his own private academy. He is not eligible for a national camp. It's been going on since 2006, and it's still going on. This person should not be in that position because he has been given all of the money and resources and has yet to produce a single doubles player.

Conflicts of interest must be avoided. He is the President of the District Association and the Secretary of the Telangana Association. We must tell the truth; even umpires are biassed in favour of one academy. This person chooses the line umpires and PBL players.

The News Talkie Bureau

Source

NDTV