Mumbai, Nov 6 (UNI) London 2012 Olympics medallist Saina Nehwal believes fellow shuttler PV Sindhu has both the “experience” and determination to script history with a third Olympic medal at the Los Angeles 2028 Games.
According to Olympics.com, on the sidelines of the Fit India National Fitness and Wellness Conclave held in Mumbai earlier this week, the former world No. 1 told Olympics.com that Sindhu’s chances depended on “how well she managed her body and form closer to the LA 2028 Olympics.”
Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medallist, won silver at Rio 2016 and bronze at Tokyo 2020, becoming the first indian woman and only the second Indian athlete, after Sushil Kumar, to claim two individual Olympic medals.
However, India returned empty-handed from Paris 2024, despite promising performances from Lakshya Sen in men’s singles, and the doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, both of whom narrowly missed the podium.
Saina feels Sen, HS Pranno, and Satwik-Chirag will be India’s best hopes once again, but “it was too early to predict anything since fitness and form are never guaranteed and what matters most are the weeks before the final cut is made for Games qualification.”
Sindhu, who won silver in Rio 2016, beat People’s Republic of China’s He Bingjiao 21-13, 21-15 to win the bronze medal in the women’s singles. In Paris, Sindhu lost to the same opponent 21-19, 21-14 at the pre-quarterfinals stage.
Last month, she withdrew from all Badminton World Federation Tour events in 2025 for the rest of the year, due to a foot injury she sustained before the European leg.
In 2025, Sindhu’s form has been rather tepid. At least half a dozen first-round exits have not done her reputation any good. Injuries have bothered her in the last couple of seasons, the website noted.
“Injuries are bound to happen,” said Saina. “And when you push yourself hard against younger opponents, the risks are higher.
“Sindhu plays the big tournaments very well, and if she can manage her stress levels, recovery, and plan well in the next three years, India can surely look at a medal from her.”
