NEW DELHI: India’s star shuttler P V Sindhu on Saturday announced that she has teamed up with former badminton player Prakash Padukone ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Currently ranked World No. 11, Sindhu took to X, formerly Twitter to announce that Prakash has assumed the role of mentor as she is seeking to bring the best out of her ahead of the major tournaments that lie ahead of the stat shuttler.
“For those wondering and constantly asking me, the cat is finally out of the bag!! 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, and, above all, a true friend. I wholeheartedly believe he possesses the magic to bring out the absolute best from my game. I am so grateful he reached out to me with one call when I was in Japan, and we’ve built on that connection exceptionally well. Dear sir, I AM PUMPED!! Looking forward to training with you! Let’s get to work”, Sindhu wrote on X.
For those wondering and constantly asking me ????, the cat is finally out of the bag!!
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
— Pvsindhu (@Pvsindhu1) November 18, 2023
Prakash Padukone was one of the top shuttlers during his time on the court. At the age of 16, he won the national senior championship in 1971 and became the youngest player to achieve this remarkable feat.
Seven years later, he bagged a gold medal in the singles event in the 1978 Commonwealth Games and in the following year, he further asserted his dominance by winning the Danish Open and the Swedish Open.
His consistency on the court made him the first Indian shuttler to win the All England Championships and the first player from the nation to claim the number-one world badminton ranking.
He will be looking to bring the best out of Sindhu who has been struggling with form for the past few years. She will be out of action for some time as she sustained a knee injury at the French Open in October. (ANI)