PV Sindhu needed a fitness reality check — Prakash Padukone did not mince words | Badminton News

Someone needed to tell PV Sindhu that her target in life ought to be an Olympics gold, not to be content with a silver and bronze, resting on her laurels. Someone also needed to tell Sindhu that to even dream of the said Paris gold, her fitness was nowhere near perfect six months ago.Prakash Padukone didn’t mince words.
If he had to re-start travelling with a player after 25 years, he needed that player to meet his standards of excellence.
“Prakash sir told Sindhu (and Lakshya Sen) in no uncertain terms, that he demands that they take responsibility for their careers. He told them they were privileged to have a good team but shouldn’t expect everyone will do things for them. Sindhu and Lakshya were never not in the best shape. But now they are in incredible shape,” informs Viren Rasquinha, who while heading Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ) projects, brought Sindhu’s Bangalore team together.
It was a hard conversation with Sindhu, Rasquinha informs, after she requested Padukone to be courtside. “Her fitness was way below Prakash sir’s standards, though to a layman she might have appeared fit. He told her ‘I will agree to work with you, if you get fit and pass all sports science tests,’” Rasquinha recalls.
At 28, no one claims it will be easy. But Padukone was only going to be dragged out of his contented semi-retirement if Sindhu set her sights on the improbable top perch. (Photo: Viren Rasquinha)
Data-led results
Sindhu’s game is traditionally built around fitness and her coach during the first Olympics, Pullela Gopichand, always insed on micromanaging her strength and stamina markers when she won her early World Championship and Rio Games medals. But Padukone simply set down the rules – every assertion would be backed data. “And we have staggering results. Sindhu is back to her 2016 Rio-time body weight now, like when she won silver,” Rasquinha informs. “She is at her ideal weight now, but needed work on body fat percentage, peak power and muscle mass.”
Completely rejigging her team, she was given a new nutrition, and strength & conditioning coach, in Bangalore. “Sindhu remains so humble despite two (Olympic) medals, and trusts her team. Also, data doesn’t lie. We needed her to be able to push longer and play 3 sets,” Rasquinha says.
That she’s improved is not in doubt – managing to nick sets off An Se Young, Chen Yufei and Carolina Marin. But the wins against elite names are still nowhere in striking dance, with recurring third-set instances of losing steam, though she gave Yufei one right scare at the French Open.
Padukone had said at the outset of their association that being able to beat Tai Tzu Ying, Se Young and Yufei, would be the real deal. Still, there’s more variety in her game now, and an attacking intent that had disappeared while her career dawdled under defensive-minded Korean coach Park Tae Sang for two years.
At 28, no one claims it will be easy. But Padukone was only going to be dragged out of his contented semi-retirement if Sindhu set her sights on the improbable top perch.
Padukone had said at the outset of their association that being able to beat Tai Tzu Ying, Se Young and Yufei, would be the real deal. Still, there’s more variety in her game now, and an attacking intent that had disappeared while her career dawdled under defensive-minded Korean coach Park Tae Sang for two years. (Photo: Viren Rasquinha)
Hands-on coaching
Saina Nehwal made All England and World Championships finals after moving to Bangalore, and much is expected out of Sindhu’s move. “No, but, Prakash sir was not involved with Saina’s tournament coaching. It was mostly Vimal sir. With Saina, he would sit behind and chip in with advice. But with Sindhu, he’s back on court. For the first time, I’m seeing so much enthusiasm and he’s on court every day. He’s 68, but his approach is refreshingly modern,” Rasquinha says.
He sets a lot of store on ideal body weight and needs daily updates on blood tests and tests in the sports science lab. Himself known for deceptive stroke play and net magic while maintaining insane fitness levels, Padukone is under no illusion that mere racquet skills suffice. Sindhu’s aggressive game will always rely on power and her long range, but while those get shored up, her shot selection has improved – incrementally. But her team reckons she’s fighting fit for the deciders. Like a marathoner, the training mileage is only at 35km off the 42.195km at this point. “It will improve more, but will boil down to fitness in those two Olympics weeks,” Rasquinha says.
Results are no great shakes against the Fab Four & Furious Marin. And the knee injury was an almighty scare, but she’s giving herself a chance propping up her fitness.

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PV Sindhu with Prakash Padukone. (Video credits: Viren Rasquinha) pic.twitter.com/fppdwJ9gA3
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“She’ll have to walk the fine line between peak fitness and injury prevention – when to push, when to recover,” Rasquinha says. Nehwal’s over-training before 2016, where she was in swell form, is a cautionary tale.
With Yufei, Tai Tzu Ying, He Bingjiao, Akane Yamaguchi, and Se Young all walking the injury tightrope, Paris might well get interesting, and be decided solely on who reaches there in their fittest avatar.
But Sindhu’s team is hoping for better seedings, though she’s No 11 right now. “We have to get Sindhu and Lakshya’s ranking up as high as possible, at least Top 8, so they don’t get tough opponents at the start,” Rasquinha says. Paris seedings dictate they manage this taut scheduling balance till end-July.

Ahead of Tokyo, Sindhu had mimicked Tokyo court conditions. Simulating Paris opponents isn’t high on Padukone’s l though, and he doesn’t really believe in lining up sparring partners with her rivals’ styles. “Sindhu has enough male players to spar with. We had that discussion, but Prakash sir thinks that no one can replicate exact style. (Tai Tzu can’t be cloned in a lab). It can’t be an excuse. We won’t give too much emphasis to it,” Rasquinha says. Sindhu 2024 can be upgraded though.