PV Sindhu’s Olympic journey came to an end in the pre-quarterfinals, as she succumbed to China’s He Bing Jiao in a hard-fought match. Despite her meticulous preparations, Sindhu admitted that her defense proved to be her Achilles’ heel.
Sindhu’s training regimen included a camp in Germany and collaboration with her mentor, Prakash Padukone. However, she acknowledged that the outcome was ultimately beyond her control. “We’ve done whatever we could. Rest is destiny. I don’t regret it,” she said.
Throughout the match, Sindhu displayed moments of brilliance, dictating points with her powerful smashes. However, Bing Jiao’s superior defense and relentless attack proved too much to overcome. “I should have controlled in terms of a little bit of mistakes on my defense,” Sindhu reflected.
The first game was a nail-biter, with both players locked at 19-19. Sindhu lamented her inability to convert that crucial point, believing it could have altered the course of the match. “It’s sad that I couldn’t convert it to win, especially in the first game,” she said.
In the second game, Sindhu attempted to unsettle Bing Jiao with smashes, but her opponent’s defense remained impenetrable. “Her defense was really good today. She was taking everything,” Sindhu said.
Despite the disappointment, Sindhu remained philosophical about her performance. “It’s been a wonderful journey so far. There were ups and downs, and I came back from an injury,” she said. “You can’t expect easy wins or picking the form at the right time. Sometimes it might not be your day.”
When asked about her plans for the next Olympics, Sindhu remained non-committal. “It’s still four years away. So for me, right now, I just go back and rest for a bit, maybe just take some break and then come back and let’s see what it is,” she said.
