"I Should Have...": PV Sindhu's Blunt Admission After Paris Olympics 2024 Exit

PV Sindhu has no regrets regarding her preparations for the Games as she did everything she could to be in the best shape but admitted defence let her down in the pre-quarterfinal against China's He Bing Jiao, here Thursday. Sindhu ran the Chinese world number 9 close in the first game but unending unforced errors meant that Bing Jao ran away with the match 21-19 21-14 in 56 minutes. Sindhu even dictated a few points but had no answer to Bing Jiao's superior attack.

"I should have controlled in terms of a little bit of mistakes on my defense is what I felt," Sindhu said, reflecting upon the reason for her defeat.

Sindhu had a training camp in Germany and also joined forces with mentor Prakash Padukone for better preparation.

"Everybody worked hard, so we've done whatever we could. Rest is destiny. I don't regret it," she said.

"I kept fighting still because you never know anything can happen. Both of us were fighting for each point because until the end you can't expect.

"It's not easy win or easy points, you can't think that you have finished the game." 

Bing Jiao's smashes and soft drops had Sindhu scurrying on both sides of the court. But when Sindhu attacked, the Chinese defended well.

"She has that jump smash. Even my smashes, I think, which were mid-court, they were just going out when she was challenging.

"I should have hit them inside and I should have got those points where I've made those unforced errors.

"She got much more confident in that because when I was hitting, she was defending, but still some points which were really mid-court also, I was hitting just out or just into her hand." It was neck-and-neck in the first game with Sindhu and her rival locked 19-19. The two-time Olympic medalist said winning