"Not impossible to win third Olympic medal": PV Sindhu

Eyeing her third successive Olympic medal, India's star shuttler PV Sindhu is confident of changing the color of her medal as she readies herself for the forthcoming Paris Games, distancing herself from all distractions far away in Germany.

Sindhu is only the second Indian and first woman athlete to bag consecutive Olympic medals after seasoned grappler Sushil Kumar. She will bank on her experience of winning a silver in Rio 2016 and a bronze in Tokyo 2020 to aim for the top spot in Paris 2024.

In a virtual interaction hosted by the Sports Authority of India in association with the Indian Olympic Association and the Badminton Association of India with select media, Sindhu said it's not impossible to win a third Olympic medal.

“You need to be smart and really work hard. I feel like (I’m) getting there. (I am) not overconfident, but definitely wiser and more smarter and hoping to win another medal. It is not impossible to win my third medal in the Olympics. I have learnt a lot from my mistakes in the recent past. I have to give my 100 per cent,” Sindhu said (via Sportstar).

“Each and every game is crucial and I don’t want to focus only on winning a medal. I will have to play at my best for sure,” she added.

Road to Paris via Saarbrucken, PV Sindhu reflects on her final build-up

The 28-year-old from Hyderabad is currently undergoing training at the Hermann-Neuberger Sportschule in Saarbrucken, Germany. She is expected to fly directly to Paris from Germany ahead of the Olympic Games that start on July 26.

The buildup to the quadrennial showpiece event hasn’t been smooth for the World No. 12, as she has struggled to register consistent victories against top-ranked players. But despite the challenges, she finished runner-up at the 2024 Malaysia Masters Super 500, losing to China's Wang Zhi Yi in the final.

This will be PV Sindhu's third appearance at the Olympic Games (Credit: Getty Images)

“It took me some time to come back (from injury) and I feel I feel that now I'm doing well. Coming to the finals is not an easy thing. And, finishing matches, not finishing matches, it depends on how we play," PV Sindhu said (via ESPN).

“I have learnt to be a lot more patient, especially from the Asian circuit before this Olympics. There would be no more short duration matches, no more expectation of easy points and no match being considered over, despite having a big lead, till the match is actually won,” she explained (via Sportstar).

On her recent indifferent form, she said:

“Olympics is a different kind of challenge, though it gives you more time to prepare unlike other major Super Series events. I am conscious of the fact that I can do much better. It is not that I am not able to finish off matches. Yes, you lose matches despite what looks like winning leads and sometimes you end up winning despite trailing. So, my focus will be consistency."

Sindhu is well aware that all eyes will be on her when she begins her Olympic campaign, and thus she needs to devise her strategy smartly. She hopes to take the positives from her previous Olympic campaigns when she lands in Paris.

“Obviously, I can’t do what I did in those two editions. I know all eyes will be on me. (I) need to be smarter. I should know that it is not going to be any easy matches for sure. But the big plus is I have the experience on my side and I am really patient enough now for the big challenges,” she said.

“The game has changed a lot now. (There are) more rallies now with emphasis on strong defence. So every player is very strong, mentally and physically prepared for those long matches,” PV Sindhu added.

When asked if she has prepared a rough plan to tackle different opponents, Sindhu said she is up for all challenges.

“Every day might not be your day. So, I have to give my best against every opponent, and not take it easy. The styles and strategies for each player will be different. Since we have time, we prepare better. I am experienced, mentally and physically stronger now.”

PV Sindhu with her coach Prakash Padukone (Credit: PV Sindhu's X/Twitter)

Sindhu also expressed her gratitude to the legendary shuttler and her current coach Prakash Padukone for his constructive feedback and input on the technical aspects of her game.

As she eyes overall improvement rather than working on a few areas in her hunt for a third straight Olympic medal, PV Sindhu concluded:

“[Prakash sir] wants me to cut down on unforced errors, keep the shuttle in the court and play freely. We have been working on all the strokes. It is important to be perfect in every aspect of the game. You never know how it is going to be on a given day."