Covid-19 might have wreaked havoc on badminton world champion PV Sindhu's schedule, causing her to skip last week's Denmark Open, but she is making the most of the break. With her eye on the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics, the Indian has travelled to England in order to get advice on her nutrition and recovery protocols.
On Sunday, the 25-year-old arrived in London, where she will work with the Gatorade Sports Science Institute. It is learned that Sindhu had been planning to travel to the UK in order to undergo testing for many years, but had been unable to find the time due to her busy calendar. That schedule opened up following her decision to opt out of the Denmark Open, which was the first tournament on the BWF (Badminton World Federation) World Tour calendar following a seven-month shutdown due to the ongoing pandemic.
"The only time she'd got in the past was during the All England tournaments. But even then, she was only able to spare a couple of hours. By taking the time to do a comprehensive study of her requirements there will be much more information that will help her with her training," said a source privy to her decision.
While Sindhu is expected to continue her badminton training in England, the purpose of her visit is to find ways to optimise her performance through improvements, particularly in diet and hydration. The changes Sindhu plans to introduce to her training regime is something she hopes will not just boost her preparations for the Olympics next year, but also for the 2024 Games, which she has suggested she wants to compete in.
With the badminton season restarting in earnest only in January next year, Sindhu felt she had the perfect window of opportunity. "! 3 months to Asia tour and this is best chance to work on things and improve !!", she posted on Twitter.
Happy to be in England and working with GSSI over the next few weeks on my nutrition and recovery with @rrandell86 ! 3 months to Asia tour and this is best chance to work on things and improve !! pic.twitter.com/07PSqweiHu
- Pvsindhu (@Pvsindhu1) October 18, 2020
Following her trip to England, Sindhu will return to the National Camp in Hyderabad. The Rio silver medallist had earlier resumed training at the camp in her home city in August after a four-month hiatus. Having last played a competitive match at the All England Open Championships in March, she is expected to resume her playing career in Thailand at the Asia Open I and Asia Open II to be held between January 12 and January 24 next year.