Asian Games: PV Sindhu eyes gold despite less preparation time

Top Indian shuttler PV Sindhu expects the Indian badminton team to deliver more medals at the Asian Games this time but feels that there has been very little time for preparation.

The Indian women’s team had clinched the bronze medal at the Incheon (South Korea) event four years ago and Sindhu believes that they can change the colour of the medal to yellow this time at the Asia, which is slated to start on August 18.

Definitely, it is going to be very different. Because we have the team events and also the individuals. Very less time to prepare. But, as a team, last time we got bronze. This time, we would expect a better one,” said Sindhu, who became the first Indian to win four medals at the Badminton World Championships.

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Sindhu won the silver after losing to Carolina Marin of Spain in the final of the World Championships last Sunday adding to the silver and two bronze medals she had won in the previous editions.

“Also, individuals, I hope that I do well. Taking the World Championship silver, taking it as a confidence, I hope that I move forward and do well,” she added.

India hasn’t won a medal in the singles category of the Asian Games since 1982 when eight-time national champion Syed Modi won the bronze. The country is yet to win any medal in the women’s singles. But, national coach Pullela Gopichand believes that this record may change very soon.

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“I think to beat Okuhara in the quarter-finals and Yamaguchi in the semi-finals is something very good. Beating both of them, the way she (Sindhu) did, I think it has been fantastic. We are hopeful for another successful event at the Asian Games in the coming 10 days,” he said yesterday,” Gopichand had said yesterday.

“We had the Commonwealth this year, we did well. We had the World Championships relatively good. Hopefully, at the Asian Games, if we do well, this year will be a successful year for Indian badminton,” he added.