Hyderabad shuttler sets her sights on Syed Modi event

Hyderabad: P.V. Sindhu is one happy camper. And why not? She did, after all, begin her year with an absolute bang, winning the Malaysia Masters Grand Prix Gold badminton tournament in Penang on Sunday. The Hyderabad shuttler decimated Scotland’s Kirsty Gilmour in straight games 21-15, 21-9 in just 32 minutes to fire the first salvo of 2016.

Euphoric after the win, Sindhu now trains her guns on the next big tournament — the Syed Modi International Badminton Championships, to be played in Lucknow from Tuesday.

“Yes,” was the 20-year-old’s prompt reply when this newspaper asked her on Sunday if she could be considered a favourite to win Syed Modi.

The manner in which she played, especially on the big stage of a final, augurs well. “I didn’t take it easy even though I was leading for most of the match. I was intent only on winning, and doing it as comprehensively as possible.” she said, adding: “This victory will boost my confidence going into the Syed Modi tournament. I’ve started the year on a high note and I’ve every intention of making sure my performance stays at this level.”

The fact that Saina Nehwal, Sindhu’s on-court nemesis, isn’t in the best of form, certainly wouldn’t hurt. “I haven’t thought about it, to be honest,” Sindhu admitted, referring to Saina’s recent struggles with health and fitness. “Right now, my only focus is on Syed Modi.”

But not for the reasons one might expect. “If I do well, I will likely run into (Thailand’s seventh seed) Busanan Ongbumrung, whom I had defeated in 2014. So she will be gunning for revenge and I will have to watch out for her,” was Sindhu’s tongue-in-cheek explanation.