PV Sindhu announces Malaysian legend Hafiz Hashim as her new coach 

After parting ways with coach Park Tae-sang in February 2023, PV Sindhu has finally announced a new coach. The Indian will now be training under Malaysian coach Hafiz Hashim.

The coach will be working under a 3-year contract with the Suchitra Badminton Academy and will remain courtside with Sindhu till the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Sindhu decided to opt for a new coach after some disappointing performances alongside Tae-sang after returning from her 5-month hiatus due to an injury.

Hafiz Hashim himself was a renowned player, with a career-high ranking of 5 in the men's singles category. The 40-year-old Malaysian has a long list of impressive achievements spanning his 12-year career.

Born in Kelantan, Hashim has won 2 Commonwealth gold medals, a Thomas Cup silver, three Thomas Cup bronze medals, and one Sudirman Cup and 2 Asian Games bronze medals. The icing on top of the cake for Hashim's list of achievements was the 2003 All England Open Championships Gold.

Mohammed Hafiz Hashim is probably one of Malaysia's most celebrated players after the legendary Lee Chong Wei and the Sidek brothers. In fact, Hashim was coached by Misbun Sidek himself, which Sindhu views as a major plus point.

PV Sindhu's history with Park Tae-sang

PV Sindhu decided to switch coaches after multiple disappointing results in the early leg of 2023, after her return from injury. These results included first-round exits at the Malaysia Open and the India Open, against Spaniard Carolina Marin and Thai player S. Katethong, respectively.

However, this decision did raise some questions as she had had certain stellar performances under the guidance of Tae-sang previously. With the Korean coach in her corner, Sindhu won bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, her second medal at the game. She also claimed her first individual gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games with Tae-sang courtside.

With Hafiz Hashim as her new coach, it will be interesting to see if PV Sindhu can turn around her 2023 season. So far, the double Olympic medalist is yet to claim a title this year.

Sindhu is looking to improve her speed and attacking instincts alongside her Malaysian coach, and it will be exciting to see these skills in action in the upcoming tournaments.