In pursuit of her third Olympic medal, star Indian shuttler PV Sindhu is making a significant move by shifting her training base from Hyderabad to Bengaluru. The decision comes as she aims to undergo specialised training under the guidance of badminton legend Prakash Padukone in preparation for the Paris Games.
Having already spent a week training with Padukone in September, Sindhu had previously hinted at the possibility of undergoing further training under his mentorship before the Asian Games. The 28-year-old, currently managing a minor issue in her left knee, officially disclosed the decision in a post on social media.
"For those wondering and constantly asking me, the cat is finally out of the bag!!," she wrote on 'X', formerly twitter.
"Prakash sir is assuming the role of the mentor in my setup. I started training with him at the end of August, and it's been uphill ever since," wrote the former world champion.
"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 from 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 clinched a silver at the Rio Olympics under the guidance of chief coach Pullela Gopichand.
In February, Sindhu and her Korean coach Park Tae-Sang decided to part ways, a coach pivotal in her winning the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
Following this, the shuttler from Hyderabad collaborated with SAI coach Vidhi Chaudhary for a period before bringing on board Malaysia's former All-England Commonwealth Games champion, Muhammad Hafiz Hashim, as her travel coach.
Currently recovering from a sore left knee, Sindhu has chosen a protected rank of No. 10, which will be secured in the BWF standings until she fully recovers. The injury occurred during her second-round women's singles match against Thailand's Supanida Katethong at the French Open on October 26.
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