Interview with P V Sindhu, the crown princess of Indian badminton - Part 1

File Photo: P.V. Sindhu (Getty Images)

William Faulkner, the much acclaimed Nobel Laureate, had written, “Always dream and shoot higher than you know you can do. Don’t bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself.” A 17-year-old girl from Hyderabad is already living by that adage.

Pusarla Venkata Sindhu might only be a teenager, but she is already a towering presence on the badminton court. The lanky teenager measures 5’10” and packs a mean smash that has derailed even the most dreaded Chinese players. The world No.13 is enjoying a brilliant year on tour, taking victory and defeat in her elegant stride with a disarming smile.

Sindhu met up with Anand Datla of Sportskeeda for an exclusive conversation on her journey so far. Sindhu took time from her busy schedule for this engaging conversation in which she discussed her aspirations and reflected on her young and promising career.

We bring you this insightful conversation in two parts.

Sindhu, many congratulations on your recent victory in Malaysia. We really hope that you keep up the success and do well for many years to come.

Thank you.

Let us start with your time as a child. It was a long ride, getting to the practice courts, wasn’t it?

Yeah, we used to stay in Secunderabad. It is 27 kilometers one way from my home to Gachibowli. Sometimes, we used to go up and down twice a day (108 km). So I would stay back and return home only late in the evening. We did that for like 2 ½ years when I was small. Later on I spent about a year and a half living at the academy. I used to return home for the weekends. A few years down the line my parents bought a home near the academy, so now it’s only 5 minutes away.

So your parents used to drive you every morning to the academy?

Yeah, I used to have my training at 5:30 am. There were many young kids of my age; it was a big group.

Sindhu, can you tell us about the influence of your first coach?

My first coach was Mohammad Ali and I used to go to practice to a railways facility near my home. He passed away a few years ago. After playing there for a while, we shifted to Lal Bahadur Stadium.

Eventually, I enrolled at the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy in Gachibowli. I have been learning there for more than five years now. I have picked up a lot of skills under the guidance of Gopi sir. There are several coaches there, including some Indonesians.

How much does the win in Malaysia mean to you?

The last time I had a shot at a Grand Prix was at the Syed Modi India International at Lucknow last year. The final was on the day of my sister’s marriage. I could not attend the wedding as I stayed back for the match and then lost (to Indonesian Lindaweni Fanetri). It was an emotional day. So this victory comes as a great relief, everyone was very happy. My coaches, my family, everybody congratulated me.

Tell us about your most memorable victory?

I was very happy to defeat Li Xuerui. She is the world No. 1 and the Olympic gold medallist, so it was a big day for me. I will always remember that match. (She gets very excited as she starts to recount the details of the match).

Talk us through the match against Li Xuerui:

First, I didn’t think I’d win because (she was an) Olympic gold medallist. The coaches told me – just go and play your game; you’ve got a chance to play against a senior player. Don’t get tensed, you’re a good player, play your 100%. When we started, I won the first game. It gave me a bit of confidence, but then I lost the 2nd game very easily. In the third game, you know, we were going level before I took the lead and won. Unbelievable! My coaches were very happy too.

Did you sense the possibility of victory as the match progressed?

I was not too overconfident because you know these senior players can pull it back. They can come back very quickly because they’re experienced players. So I didn’t think about the win. Just took it one point at a time. Even towards the end, I was 20 and she was 16. She rallied to 18 and I was praying in my mind for that one point. I got it and won the match, so I was very happy after that.

What was going through your mind through that second game? You lost eight points in a row during a stretch there.

Yeah, one side of the court was very fast, everything was going out. It was hard to control my strokes.

Why was that?

Because in every tournament there is a little drift or wind. We can’t complain because even the opponent has the same problem. You know it is because of the air conditioning flow from one side or the other. You just need to adapt to it and adjust the power behind your strokes.

Who’s had the biggest influence on you?

First and most important is Gopi sir. He teaches me very patiently. And then there are all the other coaches too. At any tournament, they come and share tips. 2-3 coaches come with us to the international events.

Talk to me about Gopi sir, how much of an influence is he, as a coach and as a person?

I’m very grateful to him. He tells me everything, even when I am making mistakes. He’s very patient too; I could make the same mistake 10, 11 or 20 times, but he speaks in the same tone and teaches me the right approach. Seriously, I’m very thankful, he’s a great coach, a champion – training under him is wonderful. Whenever we do practice, he encourages and suggests how you can improve.

As a person, outside the court, he’s really nice and on court, he’s sincere and serious. Off court, he’s fun.

How does it feel to be following in the footsteps of Saina Nehwal?

Saina is a very good player; I did wish that I could play like her when I was a junior. There are a lot of people who say say I’m the next Saina. I feel very happy about that, but you need to work hard to live up to these expectations. I would like to just do well as Sindhu.

You can read part two of the interview here.