Indian P.V Sindhu in action as she plays againts Cheung Ying Mei of Hong Kong during their Uber Cup group Y tie at Siri Fort stadium in New Delhi India ,yesterday. AZHAR MAHFOF/The Star
PETALING JAYA: The fire is still burning bright for Indian shuttler P. V. Sindhu as she goes in search of a third consecutive medal in the Olympics.
Sindhu had captured silver and bronze medals in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro and 2020 Tokyo Olympics respectively. She is out to add another one to her impressive collection in Paris in July.
The 28-year-old had also clinched the World Championships title in 2019 but is not planning to slow down any time soon despite going through a tough 2023.
Sindhu had been struggling to regain her best form since recovering from a stress fracture in her left foot that she sustained in the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Sindhu ended 2023 empty-handed with her best achievement being a runner-up finish in the Spain Masters where she was denied by Indonesia’s world No. 7 Gregoria Mariska.
Sindhu believes winning a medal in Paris will be the toughest challenge in her career so far.
“The Paris Games will be my ultimate challenge,” said Sindhu via social media.
“It’s akin to climbing Mount Everest but with the added intensity of conquering it in winter.
“In the golden era of women’s badminton, pursuing a third Olympic medal is truthfully, my greatest challenge yet.
“I am as focused as ever and the fire burns brighter and hotter than ever.”
Sindhu ended 2023 just outside the top 10 at No. 11 in the world.
The Indian shuttler is recovering from a left knee injury sustained in the French Open in October and will miss the season-opening Malaysian Open from Jan 9-14 in Bukit Jalil.
