PV Sindhu, who missed out on a third consecutive Olympic medal at Paris 2024, is aiming for a injury-free season ahead of the LA 2028 Summer Olympic Games.
The two-time Olympic medalist returned to the Malaysia Open after a long-injury layoff. She displayed grit to knock out Japan’s Tomoka Miyazaki 21-8, 21-13 to reach the quarterfinals
“Firstly I would focus on staying healthy and staying fit. That’s very important for an athlete to stay injury-free. That’s when you can actually go out there and give your 100 percent,” said the 30-year-old from Hyderabad said about the importance of fitness at top-level.
“You also have to be mentally strong,” Sindhu admitted.
“When you’re injured and when you’re coming back, that’s when it’s very important to stay mentally strong and be prepared for everything, because sometimes you might have bad days. It’s important to believe and come back stronger,” she replied when asked about her LA 2028 ambitions.
“The body is like a temple, you have to take care of it. For me, it’s one day at a time. I hope I stay fit, give my best and I will be playing for a couple of more years,” she said.
Talking about her preparation against the Japanese, she said, “Today I was prepared and ready for long rallies and her shots as well. Overall, it was important for me to be on court, be alert all the time and give my 100 percent because it’s my first tournament of the season,” she said.
Sindhu will have her task cut out against Akane Yamaguchi on Friday.