'Hurting' badminton star Sindhu says Asian Games schedule 'took toll'

NAGOYA: India’s two-time Olympic badminton medallist P.V. Sindhu said Monday she was “hurting” after defeat following three matches in 18 hours at the Asian Games.

The former world champion is the latest badminton player to take aim at the scheduling at the Games in Nagoya.

Sindhu battled to defeat over three gruelling games against China’s Chen Yufei in Sunday’s quarter-finals.

The 31-year-old played both her second- and third-round matches on Saturday, and was back on court the next day to face former Olympic champion Chen.

Following the gruelling last-eight clash, which Chen won 11-21, 21-18, 21-10, Sindhu took to social media to voice her pain at her exit.

“I needed a little time to put this into words. My Asian Games campaign is over, and I’m hurting,” she wrote on X to her three million followers.

“Three points from closing out that quarter-final. I keep coming back to those three points.”

Sindhu, who clinched Olympic silver in 2016 and bronze in 2021, added: “Letting it slip hurts.

“Three matches in 18 hours. Back at 3:00 am, out again at 8:30 am. It took a toll.”

Sindhu’s India teammate H.S. Prannoy has similarly condemned the scheduling for badminton players at the Games.

“It’s cruel because everybody is aiming for a good Asian Games, which comes once in four years,” Prannoy said at the weekend.

“To have two singles games in a day, I haven’t seen it like that in ages.”