"Attack is my strong point" - Shuttler PV Sindhu vows to give it her all at Tokyo Olympics
Reigning world champion PV Sindhu is focused on improving her craft in pursuit of a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics. The Rio Olympic silver medalist knows she will be heading to Tokyo with expectations riding on her but she is not letting them bog her down.
Asked about the areas that may give her advantage over the rest, Sindhu said her attacking strokes can be a game-changer. At the same time, the Indian shuttle queen also admitted that she has been working hard to improve her defense.
"Attack is my strong point. The rivals know my game so I am working on my defense as well. I am tall, so my attack is good. I have to be prepared for all strokes, for everything," Sindhu said at a virtual media interaction organized by the Sports Authority of India (SAI).
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Tokyo Olympics will not be a cakewalk in the absence of Carolina Marin: PV Sindhu
The absence of reigning Olympic champion and arch-rival Carolina Marin at the Tokyo Olympics has also given PV Sindhu a proverbial shot in the arm. However, the Indian is aware of the other top players in the fray who can give her stiff competition in Tokyo.
"You can’t take it easy. There are a lot of good players in the circuit, from Tai Tzu-Ying to Ratchanok Intanon. It’s unfortunate that Carolina Marin won’t be a part of the Games. But, I feel everybody would give their 100 percent. The thinking process of every player has changed since Rio. There are a lot of tricky players so we have to look out for them and everyone has different styles," said Sindhu.
The India No. 1 is also confident she will be able to surprise her opponents at Tokyo with her newly-acquired skills.
"I feel I have improved and got a lot of time to focus on my techniques and skills. And you’ll hopefully get to see new techniques and skills from me at the Olympics."
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Currently placed seventh in the Race to Tokyo rankings, Sindhu remains unfazed despite not winning a major title this year. She is optimistic that her training under Park Tae Sang will reap rich dividends at the Games.
"It’s been a year and half since I’m training with Park. He is working on my techniques and skills. We are practicing and improving every day. I’m very thankful he’s motivating me all the time. As a coach, he knows what is going on in my head. He has helped me a lot in improving mentally and physically. Experience-wise also I’ve improved a lot."
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