New Delhi, Jul 18 (PTI) Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu’s encouraging performances in Japan are a positive sign, and she remains a “threat” heading into the Olympics, believes India chief badminton coach Pullela Gopichand.
A former world champion, Sindhu entered her first final in more than two years after Tokyo Olympics champion Chen Yufei of China retired midway through their women’s singles semifinal at the Japan Open on Saturday.
“She’s definitely a prospect. She’s definitely a threat,” Gopichand said to a PTI query during an interaction on the sidelines of the mascot and anthem launch of next month’s World Championships.
“Will be interesting to see how she handles An Se Young but whether it’s Chen Yufei or Han Yue or any of the former players she can beat them.
“It’s (2028 Olympics) a little far but I think many of them can’t read her game style. So I think she’s going to be definitely a threat for sure.” The 31-year-old Sindhu was leading 21-19, 15-10 when world No. 4 Chen was forced to pull out with a hamstring injury.
It will be Sindhu’s first final since winning the Syed Modi International in Lucknow in 2024. She had also finished runner-up at the Malaysia Open Super 500 earlier that year. Her last major title came at the Singapore Open Super 500 in 2022.
She had defeated fifth-seeded Chinese Han Yue in straight games in the second round, while Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara gave a walkover before Chen Yu Fei pulled out on Saturday.
“I think these players whom she’s beaten, she could have beaten. I think against Han Yue, she has an 8-1 record. I don’t think Han Yue has the speed to actually handle Sindhu. Okuhara was a walkover and Chen Yufei I didn’t see the match…
“See, typically what is also happening is these 750 events are mandatory for players to play otherwise they have to pay a fine. So sometimes you have an injury. But you still end up going. You don’t want to pay those fines.
“So you just don’t want to go. So you just go there even if you have an injury. You say let me play… so when the top players retire, it probably is an injury which they have, which they’re carrying.” India will be hosting the World Championships after 17 years with more than 400 players from over 50 countries competing in the national capital from August 17 to 23.
Asked about India’s medal prospect, Gopichand said: “Although, except for Sindhu, we haven’t done very well in Japan, having said that, I think Satwik-Chirag, on any day, are definite contenders.
“We’ve had certain issues with Satwik’s shoulder, but we’ve got another month, and he’s back in training. With a month, I think he should be in his best shape for the World Championships. And if he is, then definitely they are contenders.” Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty had pulled out after the opening game of their first-round match at Japan Open and will also skip next week’s China Open to recover from a recurring shoulder issue faced by the former.
“Lakshya and Ayush have great games, both of them. They are going to have close matches. Men’s singles is very tightly contested. I think there are so many players who can do well, and it’s not necessarily the case that someone who has done well at the beginning of the year continues the same way.
“Somebody does well, then they fall off, lose in the first round, and then they end up winning. So that’s how men’s singles has been.
“Ayush did very well in Japan, so I’m hopeful. Sindhu doing well in Japan also is good. Women’s singles, I do still believe that apart from An Se Young, everybody in the rest of the field is beatable. And I don’t think there are any clear favourites apart from An Seong.” PTI ATK AM AM
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