Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu’s lack of consistency after coming back from an injury should not be a cause of “concern”, feels chief national badminton coach Pullela Gopichand.
Sindhu suffered yet another first-round exit on Tuesday when she lost to world No.1 Akane Yamaguchi in the Singapore Open. “She’s very young, she’s just 26-27. It’s a good age, there is no reason for concern,” Gopichand said in a virtual interaction.
“She is starting to play well. I do expect her to play well in future. She is definitely one of India’s best bets for the future,” Gopichand said.
Sindhu suffered an ankle injury in August last year and slipped from the top-10 in the BWF women’s singles rankings.
Sindhu’s final and semi-final finish at Madrid Spain Masters and Malaysia Masters, respectively, were her best results this season. But then she had a first-round exit at the Thailand Open.
But Gopichand, who guided Sindhu since she was 10 till she became an Olympic medallist, firmly believed she would bounce back stronger.
Terming it a mixed season for Sindhu, Gopichand said: “It’s the beginning of the season and beginning of Olympic qualification... We have to just back the players.”
Gopichand will now be seen promoting padel sport as an advisor. The racket sport combines tennis and squash and is comparatively new to India.