PV Sindhu and unlocking her third wind
There is an old maxim that goes as follows: athleticism will eventually bow down to age. All our sporting heroes, at some point, will succumb to this adage. Yet there are a few athletes who seem to walk the tightrope and stretch their limits. One of them is India’s pride, PV Sindhu. At the age of 31, when most of the top shuttlers would be reminiscing about golden memories in a rocking chair, Sindhu has sent seismic shocks through the badminton landscape by becoming the oldest woman to win a Super 750 event, in Japan.
In the final of the tournament, she was up against her old rival, Akane Yamaguchi. When these two players lock horns, it is about contrasting styles. Yamaguchi moves around the court like a bee, or rather, she is renowned for her retrieving skills, elite defence and controlling the tempo of the game. Meanwhile, the 5’10” Sindhu’s athleticism forces you to imagine gunpowder bursting forth. Who can forget the down-the-line smash from Sindhu against the same opponent in the 2018 World Championships?
During some of their early exchanges, Sindhu had dominated her opponent, which included a victory at the Tokyo Olympics. But as Sindhu grappled with form and injuries, Yamaguchi took a clear upper hand in their recent outings.
So, how did Sindhu go about dismantling her opponent in straight games? On the given day, Sindhu did crunch those smashes; the two smashes to stretch the lead to 17-14 in the second game illustrate the point.
However, just glance through the prism of her game and it could be observed that it had evolved. Those punchy swings, or rather pushes and clears, have been upgraded. The ever-evolving Sindhu has put in the hard yards to improve her net game and deceptions. Somewhere, the credit has to go to her Indonesian coach, Irwansyah.
In the recent past, Sindhu also seemed very eager to deliver the coup de grâce to the shuttle early on in a rally. The resultant outcome was more unforced errors. In the Japan Open, when she beat Chen Yufei and Yamaguchi, the number of unforced errors had reduced. Just about a year ago, the same Sindhu had issues with her line judgment against Kusuma Putri Wardani in the World Championship, with enough unforced errors hurting her game.
It is also noticeable that, with the South African, Wayne Lombard, joining the ranks, her fitness is back on track. When Sindhu suffered a foot and toe ligament tear, she had also reportedly travelled to Atlanta to refresh herself. Somewhere, perhaps, she wasn’t enjoying her game. And in a curious way, the injury might have just helped Sindhu rejuvenate herself. Behind the scenes, Venkata Datta Sai, her husband, also has played an instrumental role in the resurrection of her fortunes.
It is always painful to watch a champion athlete struggling at the twilight of his/her career. Self-doubts creep in and hesitation takes over. Injuries flare up now and then. Coincidentally, the mind sends signals to the body to move forward or back, but it takes a fraction more time to perform the task.
In that respect, it is heartening to see Sindhu not just trying to delay the inevitable process of aging but perhaps unlocking the third wind of her illustrious career. There is a sense of cautious optimism among badminton aficionados that Sindhu could put on a sterling performance in the World Championships, and beyond. Instead of falling behind, at the age of 31, she is ready to fly again.
The post PV Sindhu and unlocking her third wind appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.
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