PV Sindhu turns to sports science and strength and conditioning in a bid for a record sixth World Championships medal
New Delhi: PV Sindhu It occupied the fourth court in the main hall of the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium on Saturday. At the other end, Aayush Shetty warmed with his powerful strokes and powerful forehand. Sindhu smiled the moment Aayush slammed one of his powerful shots into the net.A day later, she joined Unati Hooda, another debutant like Aayush, on the practice field. The preferred pitch remained as it was the day before, with coach Irwansyah Adi Pratama taking instructions from the bench. Having experienced so much deception and projection, she would step away briefly to have a break while keeping the conversations going.It was early, eight in the morning, and the Indian battalion was in full flow before the attack. BWF World Championshipwhich launches on Monday. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty, Aayush Shetty, Lakshya Sen, Hariharan Amsakarunan-MR Arjun were on the field, as the prestigious tournament approached.However, the spotlight remains on ninth seed Sindhu. A five-time World Championships medalist, with one gold, two silver and two bronze, the 31-year-old remains in contention for the title. If she stands on the podium next Sunday, she will overtake Zhang Ning as the most decorated player in the women’s singles category.
PV Sindhu argues with Ayush Shetty at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium. (Photo: Tanuj Lakhena)
The model is also on its side. She won the Japan Open Super 750 in July while reaching the semi-finals in Australia and Malaysia and the quarter-finals in Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia. From being ranked 13th in the world at the start of the year, she has risen four spots to enter the top ten.The biggest factor in this rise in results has been a greater focus on sports science and building the right team around it. Wayne Lombard, who has worked with Indian athletes in hockey and boxing and with runner Jyothi Yaragi, leads the strength and conditioning group along with physiotherapists Hira Mondloro and Shreyasi Sanjay.“It was very important for me to have a sports science team around me… in terms of support, rehabilitation and the physiotherapist. And of course the coach is always there. Wayne (Lombard) is in charge of strength and conditioning. And of course Hera (Mondloro) is the physiotherapist at the moment.” And Shreyasi (Sanjay) takes care of S&C. So I think it’s very important to build on that. Because sometimes your body is not 100%. But you’re still pushing. And injuries just don’t tell you and come. “It just happens,” she told media on Sunday.
I think it was good physically and mentally. I’m already able to see changes in how I play and move.
PV Sindhu
“Before that, what precautions do you take and how smart are you to change? Because now you have all these tools to record your stress, or how tired you are, or whether you can push yourself or not. So I think these are some metrics that you should check and take precautions. So these are the little things that change it.She continued: “And I think that’s what helped me. I think it’s been good physically and mentally. I’ve already been able to see changes in terms of my game and my movement. So I think I’m happy that things are going the right way.”PV Sindhu relies on experience to win sixth medalHowever, it has been seven years since Sindhu won a medal at the BWF World Championships. In this one-sided final, Hyderabad beat Nozomi Okuhara to claim their first gold medal after winning two bronze (2013, 2014) and two silver (2017, 2018).
PV Sindhu
“In terms of the game and in terms of how you think and how you strategize,” she said when asked how PV Sindhu has evolved in the past seven years. “All in all, the game, badminton as a sport itself, has changed, that’s what I feel. Earlier, women’s singles was more attacking and more fast-paced. But now it’s more about long rallies and being on the field for a longer period of time. And you know, the longer you stay on the field, so I think you need a lot of patience in terms of that.“But when you look back from then until now, yeah, as a person, I think in terms of experience, there’s been a lot of changes. And I feel like I’m more experienced now, apart from playing the sport for a longer period of time. I think I’m definitely a lot more experienced in terms of how I handle myself on the field.”“Sometimes there’s a drift, and sometimes how you control the shuttle, or you know, it might not go your way all the time. So, how do you change and make sure that’s right for you? I think those are some of the things that have changed in this period,” she continued.
I played a lot of first round matches where I had a lot of pressure and there was a lot of pressure. I do not deny that there is no pressure. There is pressure.
PV Sindhu
Although a lot has changed since she won her first medal in Guangzhou in 2013, she admits that hunger is the only constant. Despite 15 years of experience and two Olympic medals, she still feels butterflies in her stomach.“I’ve played a lot of first-round matches where I had butterflies and there was a lot of pressure. I won’t deny that there’s no pressure. There’s pressure. But at the same time, for me, there’s nothing to lose. And I just want to do my best because I know I’ve trained hard and worked hard in my training sessions,” she explained.She continued: “So, I just have to get on the field and give my best, regardless of the result.”
New Delhi, August 16 (ANI): Badminton player P V Sindhu speaks during a press conference at the BWF World Championships 2026 at Indira Gandhi Arena, in New Delhi on Sunday. (Annie Image/Naveen Sharma)
Tough drawAlthough the 31-year-old overtook Chen Yufei and Akane Yamaguchi on his way to the title in Japan, the draw is not the easiest at the BWF World Championship. After starting against Ireland’s Sophia Noble, the task becomes more difficult as she faces Wang Zhiyi in the round of 16. Zhi Yi has beaten Sindhu three times this year. If she clears that hurdle, she will likely face Putri Kusuma Wardani in the quarterfinals. The Indonesian beat Sindhu in the world championships last year.Top seed Ahn Se-young is on the other side of the draw, and they could meet in the semi-finals. The in-form Korean has a huge head-to-head advantage with a 10-0 advantage over Sindhu.
The scoring system will be different. It will be very difficult. If it’s 21 points, there’s still time. For example, you’re down 0-7, and you still have time to cover. While in the 15th minute, if the seven points are over, the match is almost over.
PV Sindhu
With 24-year-old Ahn Si-young standing up well and truly excelling above the rest, despite injury, the field has an even mix of veterans and youngsters. Of the 16 seeds, five are under 26, while the rest are older. Sindhu, 31, has seen a lot of players come and go and will soon see the game evolve into a 15-point format next year.“I think there is a younger generation emerging now in badminton and women’s singles in particular. The scoring system will be different. It will be very difficult. If the score is 21 points, there is still time. For example, you are 0-7 down, and you still have time to cover.“Whereas in the 15th minute, if the seven points are taken, the game is almost over. So it will be very difficult. You have to be on your feet from the first point.
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“There may be some short rallies, fast rallies, fast rallies. So you have to adapt to it. And of course, I’m happy because I see a lot of changes in the sport,” she concluded.
