Sindhu gets new coach; she is confident to regain her winning touch

In recent times, the career of P.V. Sindhu has witnessed a surprising slump. After returning to the courts following her injury, she has been unable to obtain the victories that were coming to her so easily on earlier occasions. Her inconsistent performances have made her latest world ranking slip to number 17. She had reached a career best ranking of World No.2 so the present situation is quite worrying for her as well as her fans.

But the problem is not one that she cannot fix. She has the same determination and fighting spirit as her father P.V. Ramana who used to be a champion volleyball player. With a world championship title and two Olympic silver medals under her belt, she has the experience and the confidence to reach the top again.

Comparatively her arch rivals such as Ratchanok Intanon, Carolina Marin and Akane Yamaguchi (who is at present the World No.1) are still doing well so Sindhu must be itching to get going once more and join their ranks. This alone should give Sindhu an added motivation to fight back despite the recent setbacks.

This year Sindhu made a return from her injury by playing in the Malaysia Open and then she was part of the Indian team that won a bronze medal at the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships. Between March and April this year, she reached her first final of the season at the Spain Masters but lost to Gregoria Mariska in straight games. So it has been a mixed bag for Sindhu. All is not as gloomy as a casual glance may make it seem.

Now, with the objective of finding her old winning touch, she has taken the services of a new coach Muhammad Hafiz Hashim of Malaysia. But Sindhu’s decision was not a hasty one. She had already been training with Hashim at intervals and she made her final decision only after she found that the Malaysian was able to provide the inputs that she needed.

Who is Hashim?
Hashim is a former Malaysian player whose biggest success was winning the prestigious All England championships in 2003. He recently came to India and took up a three-year coaching contract at the Suchitra Academy in Secunderabad. This was where he came across Sindhu and the latter was impressed by his commitment, qualifications and drive to excel.

“Hashim has all the traits I was seeking in a coach. He has the speed and attacking instincts that I want,” Sindhu tweeted. “Buckle up folks. It is going to be a great journey with captain Hashim at the helm,” she stated.

It is good to see the confidence and spirit of the Hyderabadi girl. Her height and reach advantage remains her strongest point and all she needs is a coach who can help her regain her winning touch. The tactical moves and game strategy have to be worked out by the two of them. Maybe the Malaysian coach, who was himself coached by the famous Misbun Sidek, can provide the answers that Sindhu is looking for.