Chief National coach Pullela Gopichand is shifting his strategic focus toward the women's team to optimize their performance in the Tokyo Olympic qualifying rounds. He views Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu as the primary hopes for medals, suggesting that a few tactical tweaks could realistically bring home a gold.
The road to the 2020 Olympics is heating up as the April deadline approaches, and the players are currently fine-tuning their game. Recent struggles at the Thailand Masters in Bangkok have proven costly for Saina Nehwal and Srikanth Kidambi, causing their rankings to dip. Currently sitting at 16th and 18th respectively, the urgency is clear: they must maintain a top-16 position to secure their invitation to the Games.
The relationship between the national coach and Saina Nehwal wasn't always smooth, marked by initial communication hurdles. This tension led Nehwal to leave the academy for a stint with Vimal Kumar in hopes of a breakthrough. However, after the experience proved unproductive, she decided to return to Gopichand's guidance. In a similar vein, PV Sindhu and Srikanth Kidambi have been working closely with their trainers; Sindhu brings the prestige of a 2016 Rio silver, while Kidambi holds a bronze from the 2016 Asian Championships.
In a recent interview, Gopichand emphasized that his main goal is to get as many Indian players as possible into the Tokyo Games through a series of wins. While he sees PV Sindhu and Sai Praneeth B as safe bets, he noted that if Saina Nehwal can improve her current fitness and form by even 10%, another medal for India is almost certain. He also pointed out that the court conditions in Tokyo are more aligned with what players experience in World Championships.
Reflecting on the global landscape of Olympic preparation, the coach warned that the competition will be fierce. India's trajectory has been promising: from reaching the quarterfinals in Beijing 2008 to securing bronze in 2012 and silver in 2016. Now, the ultimate target is gold. Regardless of a player's experience level, Gopichand stressed that psychological resilience is the deciding factor in high-stakes international tournaments.