oppn parties PV Sindhu And Tournament Finals: Not Made For Each Other

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  • Maaya Rajeshwaran reaches WTA-level quarter-final. The 17-year-old Indian defeated Poland's Weronika Falkowska 6-4, 6-3, becoming the first Indian woman since Sania Mirza in 2012 to reach a quarter-final at a WTA Tour-level singles event
  • Tanvi Patri reaches Youth Olympics badminton final. The 15-year-old defeated Japan's Yuzuno Watanabe in the semi-final, assuring India of a medal and becoming the first Indian badminton player to reach the girls' singles final at the Youth Olympics
  • India beat Pakistan 3-2 in SAFF Championship. India defeated Pakistan in a closely contested match, having led 3-0 before conceding two late goals. The victory was reported as a significant result for India's second-string side
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  • The Supreme Court issued notice to the Centre and the Election Commission on a petition challenging Section 16 of the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023, which grants the CEC and Election Commissioners protection from legal proceedings for acts performed in their official duties. The petition argues that such blanket immunity could leave citizens without an effective remedy for alleged wrongdoing by the Commission
  • The Supreme Court told voters whose names were deleted from Delhi's draft electoral rolls not to be apprehensive about seeking re-enrolment through Form 6, after the Election Commission assured it that such applicants would not be prosecuted merely because their names had appeared in earlier rolls
  • Congress leader Rahul Gandhi opened the party's campaign for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections with an Insaaf rally in Sangrur, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's home district, accusing the AAP government of failing to control drugs, gangster violence and corruption. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge outlined six commitments, including a drug-free Punjab, protection of farmers, employment for young people and action against corruption
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PV Sindhu And Tournament Finals: Not Made For Each Other

By Sunil Garodia

About the Author

Sunil Garodia Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator. Author of Cyber Scams in India, Digital Arrest, The Money Trap and The Human Hack

Is P.V. Sindhu scared of tournament finals? The way she stumbles at the last hurdle would definitely point to having a thing about them. The latest loss came against Akane Yamaguchi of Japan in the Indonesian Open. Since losing to Carolina Maria in the 2016 Olympics final, Sindhu has won just five titles while finishing second best 11 times. When one starts losing so many finals, the opponents notice. They start planning differently and add to Sindhu's misery.

 

Take the Indonesian open, for example. On any given day, Sindhu would be expected to beat Yamaguchi hands down as she has a 10-4 career advantage over her. But that day, Yamaguchi changed her plans. She knew of Sindhu nervousness in finals and transformed herself from a baseline rally player to an attacking smasher. This threw Sindhu completely off guard and before she could think of anything, Yamaguchi smashed her way to a 21-15, 21-16 victory. It was a planned demolition to which Sindhu had no answers.

 

There is no doubt Sindhu is a great player. But there is a big gap in being great and an all-time great. She would definitely not want to be remembered as someone who used to finish second best. She has the ability to put it across any player on the circuit. Then why does she falter in the finals? Is it psychological? Or is it about not having a plan B or plan C in place?

 

But whatever it is, modern sport has become a team game even though it is the individual who performs on the court. Hence, Sindhu has the resources of a coach, a physical trainer and perhaps a mental trainer, among other support staff. If the mental trainer has not succeeded in lifting her up in the last three years, it is time to change him or her. There are many distinguished persons in the field who have transformed the careers of many sportspersons. Sindhu must approach one of them. She should immediately seek advice to get results that are on par with her talent and ability.