‘I want Sindhu to play with speed and power’
PV Sindhu’s first tournament of the 2025 season came to an end on Friday night with a 9-21, 21-19, 17-21 defeat to Olympic bronze medallist Gregoria Mariska Tunjung but in her loss, there were a few tantalising glimpses of what her playing style could look like under Indonesian coach Irwansiyah with whom she started training at the start of the year.
Tentative in the opening game, Sindhu successfully started attacking the Olympic bronze medallist a lot more in the second and deciding game. It’s the kind of approach Irwansiyah wants to see more from the Indian. Although he might have started his stint in India at a time when younger opponents have started to regularly trouble the veteran 29-year-old double Olympic medallist, Irwansiyah who previously coached the Indonesian men’s team, believes there’s plenty Sindhu still has to offer.
Q. What did you make of Sindhu’s match (against Gregoria Mariska Tunjung)
It was a good game, but Sindhu was a little tense at the start of the game. And of course, it is hard to play according to your strategy because you are playing in front of a home crowd which puts extra pressure. But it was ok. In the end, she fought back but I think she was a little unlucky. I think she tried everything. She gave it her best. Maybe next time things will be different.
Q. What were your goals when you came to India?
My target when I came to India was of course to get Sindhu and the others I work with to a very high level. I do believe and Sindhu also does that she can do it. Of course, we have only been together for less than one week but I think she can change her game the way I want to. Of course, it will take time. You need to give us some time. She can do it but she will have to get used to this.
Q. What sort of game do you want Sindhu to play with?
Speed and power. I want her to play with a lot more speed and power. That will make her a higher level. I don’t want to slow her play down because Sindhu is basically an attacking player. She needs to be more powerful and more aggressive. In the deciding game she started playing with a much faster tempo and more power. That is what I want.
Q. By when do you think you will start to get the kind of game that you want?
I’ve coached men’s singles before but now I’m coaching Sindhu. I won’t find it easy [trying] to make her like a men’s singles player but that is the direction I want to work towards. I think Sindhu can do it because she is very very disciplined. She is a very hard-working player. I hope our plans start to come together with the All-England and other big competitions.
Q. Sindhu is already 29 right now. Will it be hard for her to play with this kind of pace and power that you want?
Even though she is 29, I do believe she can get better. She’s working very hard and she also has a lot of support. I think we have a very good team. We are very careful with her nutrition. We are watching how much she eats. We are managing how much she sleeps. We are tracking everything. We have strength and conditioning specialists. We have physios working with us. We have everything we need. So in Sindhu’s case her age doesn’t matter that much.
There are some very good men’s singles players who were good even after thirty so I don’t see why this is not the same for Sindhu. In fact, there are younger players who aren’t disciplined and who don’t have a good team to support them. Then, I don’t think that younger players will be fitter than someone like Sindhu. What is most important is good discipline and a good team. Sindhu has both.
Q. You are working with a group of players and not just Sindhu now. What do you think that will do?
I think we want to create an environment where everyone is pushing each other. I want that to happen so everyone can push each other and that will increase the overall improvement of all the players.
Q. You were coaching the men’s singles players in Indonesia and now you are coaching the women’s singles players. What is that change like?
It is my belief that every player needs to have speed and power. I think this is true even in women’s singles. That is what I want to do here in India. I want to get players to be faster and more attacking. That is what I will try to do
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