PV Sindhu shares emotional post thanking Prakash Padukone and her coaching staff ahead of Asian Games 2023 events

Ace Indian shuttler PV Sindhu has arrived in Hangzhou, China, to participate in the ongoing Asian Games 2023. The two-time medalist in the continental event expressed gratitude to her entire team behind her training camps back in India.

Although Sindhu has lacked with her form in 2023, the 28-year-old cannot be written off from India’s prospective list of medal winners. Sindhu will look to elevate her medal color in the women’s singles at Asiad after finishing third in Incheon (2014) and second in Jakarta (2018).

After reaching the Asian Games village in Hangzhou, PV Sindhu uploaded a few pictures with her support staff and teammates. She thanked former national player Prakash Padukone, coach Hafiz Hasim, strength and conditioning coach Srikanthvarma Madapalli and physiotherapist Zeinia Samar.

“The excitement is building from day 1, and the butterflies have started fluttering, especially after the long flight to get here. I'm dedicated to maintaining a training camp that has truly pushed me to my limits,” Sindhu wrote caption for her latest Instagram post.

Sindhu will spearhead the 19-member Indian badminton contingent at the continental showpiece. Apart from her requisite women’s singles, the World No.14 will also feature in the women’s team event, starting on September 28 with the elimination round.

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Can PV Sindhu turn around things to overcome an uninspiring 2023?

At the beginning of this year, PV Sindhu admitted that she recovered from the stress fracture suffered during the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. However, the injury has apparently impacted her performance on the court.

She is yet to win a title in 2023 and has suffered seven first-round exits, including the ones at All England Open, India Open, and Thailand Open. During the World Badminton Championships held in Bangkok last month, Sindhu was awarded a bye in the first round but lost to Japan's Nozomi Okuhara in the Round of 32.

Sindhu's lone final appearance this year came in the Madrid Masters in April while she reached two quarterfinals and semifinals events each. This phase can resemble the one endured in 2019 when the Olympic medalist broke the shackles by winning her first gold medal at the World Championships in Basel.