"I think that will affect you in some or the other ways" - PV Sindhu on injuries

Senior Indian shuttler PV Sindhu said that she will take her recent injury positively and will gain enough physical strength to overcome the fear of injuries down the line. The World No.12 is currently undergoing rehabilitation following a strain in her left knee sustained during the French Open in October.

Sindhu has missed many major events, including the recently concluded Syed Modi International 2023 which was held in India. Her return to the court is unlikely until February next year.

In a recent interaction on 'The Ranveer Show Podcast', the ace Indian shuttler explained how injuries can lead to mixed emotions for an athlete and how a positive approach can help overcome them.

"I think that (injuries) will definitely affect you in some or the other ways. I think that I want to give my best and I don't want to think about injuries. Yeah, you do at sometimes where you have to keep yourself strong by strengthening them and being physically strong rather than thinking 'If I get injured then what'," Sindhu told Ranveer Allahbadia.

"There is a negative aspect and a positive aspect. I would take it in a positive way thinking that I need to strengthen myself so I don't get any injury. Injuries happen and that is part and parcel of life. Right now when I am injured, I don't think I will come back. That is going in your head," she added.

The Hyderabad-born player doesn't shy away from expressing her aggression on the court with a boisterous shout. She was involved in a verbal spat with her Spanish rival Carolina Marin in the Denmark Open semi-final this year that eventually resulted in both players being handed yellow cards.

Interestingly, aggression doesn't come naturally to Sindhu as she has been practicing shouting in the practice courts ahead of her matches. It was an incident with her childhood coach that changed things in her body language.

"When I started playing I used to not shout at all. I used to be a normal person and let them (opponents) shout and I will do what I have to do. Once my coach said 'shout'. I didn't shout and he said until you shout I won't let you play. I cried that day but I didn't shout. But that is how I learned. From the next day, I was shouting daily," Sindhu revealed.

"Chinese are beatable" - PV Sindhu

China is a powerhouse in the world of badminton in each category. They swept three of the five gold medals on offer at the 19th Asian Games on their home soil. The Chinese shuttlers are known for their endurance, agility, and reflexes which make them formidable opponents.

PV Sindhu, who lost to China's HE Bing Jiao in the Asian Games women's singles quarterfinals, believes that the Chinese shuttlers can be defeated. She also explained what sets apart the badminton ecosystem in China that goes on producing numerous match-winners.

"Chinese are beatable. Initially it (the stereotype was) but when I started playing in 2012 and started beating the Chinese, I would say they are beatable. Back then it was like the Chinese are unbeatable everywhere," she said

"In China, there are en number of players when I compare to India, where there are only few. If one is out they are like 10. In different countries it's like there is only one Sindhu and one Saina then there is only one Sindhu and one Saina and one Satwik/Chirag (Indian men's doubles pair).

They are a bunch of players. Right now in the top 15, there are like 5-6 Chinese players," she further added.

PV Sindhu did not win any title in an arduous season but managed to move higher in the rankings after dropping out of 10 earlier this year.