Nagoya
PV Sindhu criticised the Asian Games badminton schedule on Sunday after playing three singles matches in less than 24 hours. The Indian star said the short gap between matches left too little time for recovery. Sindhu played her second-round match on Saturday afternoon. Her third-round match finished around 1 am local time on Sunday, and she returned for her quarterfinal against China’s Chen Yufei at about 1.30 pm. Chen won 11-21, 21-18, 21-10, ending Sindhu’s singles campaign. Sindhu said the schedule could have been organised better. She explained that preparing mentally was only part of the challenge: players also needed enough rest to recover physically, particularly before matches with long rallies. She did not say the schedule alone caused her defeat and described the quarterfinal as a good match overall. The two-time Olympic medallist began strongly against Chen and took the opening game. Chen fought back in the second, then pulled clear in the deciding game to reach the semifinals. Sindhu had played twice the previous day, with her later match running beyond midnight. Sindhu also questioned the absence of a player challenge system on Court 4, where she faced Chen. She said she believed some close line calls had gone against her. Review cameras were available on only two show courts at the venue. Fellow Indian Unnati Hooda, who also lost her quarterfinal, said the scheduling could have been handled better, although she did not blame it for her defeat. Several players had been required to play twice within a few hours on Saturday. Sindhu’s comments have drawn attention to the demands placed on athletes as the badminton competition reaches its decisive rounds.
