Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu said a demanding schedule and limited recovery time affected her campaign at the Asian Games after she bowed out in the women’s singles quarterfinals against China’s Chen Yu Fei.
Sindhu, who lost 21-11, 18-21, 10-21 to the former world champion, said she had just 18 hours between three matches, leaving little time for adequate rest ahead of her quarterfinal.
“Three matches in 18 hours. Back at 3 a.m., out again at 8:30 a.m. It took a toll,” Sindhu said in a post on X, adding that she and her team were already working on improving her ability to close out crucial moments.
The Indian had begun strongly against Chen, taking the opening game 21-11. However, the Chinese shuttler stretched the rallies in the second game and levelled the contest 21-18 before pulling away in the decider to win 21-10.
Sindhu said she was particularly disappointed by three points that came when she was close to closing out the quarterfinal. “Three points from closing out that quarterfinal. I keep coming back to those three points,” she wrote, reflecting on how long rallies at key stages had influenced the outcome.
The 30-year-old also acknowledged the significance of reaching her fourth Asian Games, having made her debut at the 2014 edition. She said the defeat was painful but would not define a 12-year journey representing India at the continental event.
Sindhu had a particularly demanding Saturday, with her matches affected by delays and a change of courts. She finished her second contest close to 1 a.m., returned to the hotel and completed her dinner and recovery routine before sleeping at around 3 a.m., before having to return to competition at 8:30 a.m. the following day.
Her exit, along with Unnati Hooda’s quarterfinal loss to Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi, ended India’s individual badminton campaign at the Games. India’s only badminton medal was the men’s team bronze.
The scheduling of matches had also come under scrutiny from several players during the competition. Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie and Japan’s Kodai Naraoka were among those who faced late finishes and short recovery windows, while China’s women’s doubles world No. 1 Tan Ning also voiced concerns.
Sindhu, however, said she remained motivated despite the setback, adding that the desire to compete for India continued to drive her. “I’m hurting, but that’s okay. I’m glad it still means enough to hurt this much. I still want this,” she wrote.
