Adapting to the conditions in Rio and changing on-court strategy in match situation will be the key to success, according to ace Indian shuttler P V Sindhu, who is aiming to add an Olympic medal to the two World Championship bronze she has won. “Adapting to conditions is important.
The conditions need to be suitable for us. So we are leaving early. We don’t know how it would be. There will be drift and we will be practising for a week so we will be used to the court. So it will be an important week in Rio,” Sindhu, who won two bronze medals at World championships in 2013 and 2014 said. Asked about the competition in women’s singles, the 21-year-old from Hyderabad said: “There is no particular person who is a favourite. Anybody can beat anyone and it is all about giving your best on that day.
“I have beaten all of them in the past and it gives me confidence but then it gets tougher and tougher as we play them again because they know our strokes and we know there game, so it is all about changing the strategy on the court. That would be the key,” she said. The three-time Macau Open winner will be participating in her maiden Olympics. Asked how important is experience in a big event such as Olympics, Sindhu said: “Experience is important but then how you play on the given day also matters. Sometimes even the experienced ones make mistakes. Experience matters but luck also matters.
“This season, I played so many tournament as it was a crucial year. Sometimes I was playing well and sometimes not. I learnt from my mistakes. I played against all of them, all the top players. Everybody has a different style of play and it was a good learning experience and I think it will help at the Olympics.” From watching Saina Nehwal win a bronze at London Olympics to carrying India’s medal hopes at Rio, Sindhu has come a long way.
