‘Back at 3 am, out again at 8:30 am’: PV Sindhu slams brutal schedule after Asian Games heartbreak

Nagoya: India's two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu stated that competing in three matches within an 18-hour window took a physical toll on her, as she reflected on her Asian Games exit following a quarter-final loss to China's Chen Yu Fei.

Sindhu, who bowed out after a 21-11, 18-21, 10-21 defeat against Chen on Sunday, posted a message on X following the match, pointing to the minimal recovery time permitted between her fixtures.

"I needed a little time to put this into words. My Asian Games campaign is over, and I’m hurting. Three points from closing out that quarterfinal. I keep coming back to those three points. Like in China, long, demanding rallies at the most critical moments turned the match. I had my chance. Letting it slip hurts," Sindhu wrote on X.

"Three matches in 18 hours. Back at 3 a.m., out again at 8:30 a.m. It took a toll. But after a camp that gave me every reason to believe, I wanted so much more. My team and I are already working on closing out those moments. We will fix it," she added.

Sindhu endured a demanding Saturday schedule, marked by delays to her opening fixture and court reassignment for her second match. She concluded her second contest close to 1:00 AM, returning to her hotel thereafter to complete her meal and recovery routine before going to sleep at approximately 3:00 AM.

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She woke up at 8:30 AM on Sunday to prepare for her quarter-final meeting with Chen.

Sindhu started strongly against the former Chinese world champion, claiming the opening game 21-11, but Chen answered by extending the length of rallies and eventually turning the contest in her favour. Sindhu dropped the second game 18-21 before succumbing 10-21 in the decider.

"I’m hurting, but that’s okay. I’m glad it still means enough to hurt this much. I still want this. I still bring all of myself to that court. That feeling keeps me going," Sindhu wrote.

The Indian player also reflected on her extended Asian Games career, having made her inaugural appearance at the 2014 edition.

"There’s room for pride, too. From my first Asian Games in 2014 to my fourth now, twelve years of giving everything for India. I want to let myself feel that. One painful result cannot define a journey that means so much," she wrote.

"To everyone who stayed up, cheered and believed: I wanted those last three points for us, too. Thank you for standing beside me. I’ll go again," she concluded.

Sindhu's departure, alongside Unnati Hooda's quarter-final defeat against Japan's Akane Yamaguchi, brought India's individual badminton participation at the Games to a close. India finished with a bronze medal in the men's team event as its sole badminton medal.

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The tournament scheduling attracted criticism from other competitors during the event, with Indonesia's Jonatan Christie and Japan's Kodai Naraoka among those subjected to late-night finishes and limited recovery periods.

China's women's doubles world No. 1 Tan Ning similarly raised concerns regarding the match schedule, while organisers had previously modified the badminton programme following changes in athlete numbers.

However, no official statement has been issued addressing the players' latest complaints.

ANI