Indian star shuttler PV Sindhu announced on Saturday that she will be mentored by former badminton star Prakash Padukone in a bid to strengthen her preparation for the Paris Olympics 2024.
Currently ranked 11th in the world, Sindhu announced on social media that Prakash has taken on the role of mentor as she seeks to bring the best out of herself ahead of the important tournaments that lie ahead for the shuttler.
For those wondering and constantly asking me 😅, the cat is finally out of the bag!!
— Pvsindhu (@Pvsindhu1) November 18, 2023
Prakash sir is assuming the role of the mentor in my setup. I started training with him at the end of August, and it's been uphill ever since. He's more than a mentor; he's my guide, my guru,… pic.twitter.com/KxYlo4dyBd
According to a report in the The Indian Express, Sindhu made the decision to work with Padukone about two weeks before the Asian Games when she travelled from the Suchitra Academy in Hyderabad.
Sindhu, a two-time Olympic and five-time Worlds medalist, has been granted a protected ranking by the Badminton World Federation following a knee injury sustained last month. Sindhu suffered a left knee injury during her second-round women’s singles match against Thailand’s Supanida Katethong at the French Open last month.
The 2019 World champion has been dealing with injury concerns since the ankle injury she picked up during the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. She has also been struggling for form since last August, having lost in the first round of seven events this year. Sindhu is yet to win a tour title this season.
At the recently concluded Asian Games, she reached the quarter-final, followed by back-to-back semi-final finishes at the Arctic Open Super 500 in Finland and the Denmark Open Super 750.