CWG 2022: 'The ultimate goal is the Paris Olympics in 2024' - PV Sindhu

Two-time Olympic medallist and ace Indian shuttler PV Sindhu hopes the 2022 Commonwealth Games (CWG) will serve as a perfect launchpad as she looks to regain her World Championship crown next month. Sindhu, who won a silver and a bronze in the previous two editions, is chasing an elusive gold medal at the ongoing CWG. Her next direct target will be the Tokyo World Championships from August 22-28.

"The ultimate goal is the Paris Olympics in 2024. But the focus right now is winning a CWG medal and then the World Championships. Winning at the Commonwealth Games is a big achievement. It happens every four years. And representing our country at the biggest certainly gives a lot of pride. Hoping for the gold this time," Sindhu told PTI in Birmingham.

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Sindhu recently claimed the Singapore Open. However, she has not been able to get past Tai Tzu Ying of the Chinese Taipei recently. The last time she won against the world number two was in 2019 during the World Championships, where she had a dream title-winning run. Since then, the ace Indian has endured seven flops, including a quarterfinal loss at last year's World Championships, with her career head-to-head reading 7-17.

Sindhu has also struggled against some left-handed players like Carolina Marin Spain or An Se Young of Korea. "It's nothing like I'm not able to crack them. It's imperative that each match matters. It just depends on that particular day," Sindhu explained when asked about flaws in her gameplay.

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"Each player has a different style of play, different stroke play. You must strategise accordingly because, as I mentioned, it just depends on that particular day. There were a lot of matches where seeded players lose in the first round, so it also depends on the court conditions," added Sindhu.

Sindhu, who trains under Park Tae Sang of Korea, has been a standout star for India in the previous decade, and she said that focusing on learning has been her key to success. "Even for me, I need a lot of practice. I also need to focus on my strokes every single day. I can't think I have won a medal and done well. That doesn't matter. It's past. There is more to learn. Every day there is a learning process for everyone," she reckoned.

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The 27-year-old from Hyderabad has won as many as five world championships medals, silver and bronze medals at Asian Games, and a couple of bronze medals at the Asian Championships to go with her silver and bronze at Rio and Tokyo Olympics. She also won the 2018 BWF World Tour Finals.

Sindhu also said that focusing on her fitness has been the mantra for remaining injury-free of late in the international circuit. "It's essential to stay physically fit. I would say, as an athlete, that's what we train for, and we need to be injury-free," she declared.

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"It's vital to take care of our body, not just on the court but off the court as well. Training-wise, it's essential to stay fit because they are back-to-back tournaments. You must make sure your body is 100 per cent. If you are not up to the mark, you won't be able to play a tournament and a match. Any athlete would want to be injury free," concluded Sindhu.

(With inputs from PTI)