Champ to future champ?

1980 winner Prakash Padukone wants to see PV Sindhu win the All England crown through precise planning

Former World No. 1 shuttler Prakash Padukone believes PV Sindhu’s next target should be the prestigious All England Championships. India’s only double Olympic medal-winning shuttler Sindhu, 26, (she won silver at Rio 2016 and bronze at Tokyo 2020) is also the reigning world champion, having won gold at the 2019 Basel World Championships. 

However, the All England title has somehow eluded her, and Padukone, 66—the first Indian to win the All England Championships in 1980—is confident she can emerge victorious at the next edition (March 16-20, 2022) by planning her schedule well in the build-up to the tournament. 

‘The one that’s missing’

“If I was in her [Sindhu’s] place, I would do that [aim for the All England title]. That is one title which is missing for her [trophy cabinet]. Otherwise, she has done a fantastic job and is probably the best player. She has won everything—Olympics, World Championship,” Padukone said on the sidelines of the launch of the Padukone Sports Management Badminton Coaching Centre at the National Sports Club of India in Worli on Tuesday.

Also Read: PV Sindhu eyes winning return

“As she aims for the All England title, she should work backwards. You know the date, March, so to reach there, she needs to discuss with her coach. If she wants to win it then she should plan which tournaments she wants to play before it. Also, before that [tournament], you want two or three weeks rest. So, you must plan your schedule accordingly and in such a way that you are at the peak of your form when you arrive to play the All England,” added Padukone.

No one after Saina, Sindhu

When asked why there is no other promising Indian female player after Saina Nehwal and Sindhu, Padukone admitted that there is a gap. “I feel the standard [in Indian women’s badminton] generally was very low, but these two [Saina and Sindhu] have taken it to a different level altogether. They have raised the bar so high that now it’s almost impossible for the others. One of the main reasons these two have succeeded is because of their physical abilities. Both are very fit in terms of speed, fitness, strength, power, and that’s something none of the other girls have. Technically or stroke-wise, the other girls are probably on par with Saina or Sindhu, but lack in the physical parameters,” explained Padukone.

Lakshya has a long way to go

Padukone also had some words of advice for promising shuttler Lakshya Sen, 20, who lost the Dutch Open final on Sunday. “He [Sen] is young and doing well, but he should not be satisfied with what he has achieved. He has got a long way to go. In the rankings, he’s around the top 20 [World No. 25]. He has another year or two to reach his peak, so for now, he should learn from the tournaments he’s playing,” said Padukone. 

Sindhu meanwhile, returned to competitive badminton for the first time since her Tokyo achievement yesterday, at the Denmark Open. She beat Turkey’s Neslihan Yigit 21-12, 21-12 in 30 minutes to storm into the second round.

Also Read: Sindhu, Rio have pawsome time

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