Happy to play for Chennai: Sindhu

The issue of cramped calendar reared its head again a day after her compatriot Saina Nehwal complained that the schedule left little time for players to tend to their injuries and recover in time for the next assignment. 

Asked specifically in this context about the relevance of the Premier Badminton league, coming as it does at the end of a taxing itinerary, the 22-year-old suggested that players have to be more selective in picking the tournaments they want to compete at. “Playing in PBL adds value to my game as I get to play with and against several top-notch players in the world. It also does a world of good to the youngsters as they get motivated to take up the game professionally and that can only be good for the country. We have to be prepared for the tight schedule and it will get even tighter next year. There is no point in blaming the BWF and instead we need to discuss with our respective coaches on what tournaments we need to play in,” replied Sindhu. 

About her heart-rending loss in the Dubai Superseries final last week, Sindhu said she had ‘no regrets’ about the defeat and that she had a philosophical outlook on accepting both victories and defeats. “Overall it was a good match. It just wasn’t my day. But, I’m happy that I gave my best and it’s not possible to win every match. As long as I know that I gave my 100 per cent, I have no regrets irrespective of the result” added Sindhu.

One positive development to have surfaced this year was the giant-killing act of a few men’s players from India particularly Kidambi Srikanth who won four Super Series titles. Sindhu said it was something to take immense pride in and hoped that many more would follow suit. “Srikanth had an outstanding year and so has HS Prannoy. Sai Praneeth too has made his presence felt and it’s something to feel proud of,” concluded Sindhu.