For PV Sindhu, winning a medal at Tokyo Olympics will be much harder than Rio: Jwala Gutta

Rio Games silver medallist PV Sindhu will be under a lot more pressure at the Tokyo Olympics and it will be tough to repeat her medal-winning performance given the lack of match practice in the run-up to the showpiece event, reckons former doubles player Jwala Gutta.

All the focus was on London Olympics bronze medallist Saina Nehwal in the run-up to the Rio Games but it was Sindhu who stunned the world with her silver medal-winning feat five years back.

However, this time Sindhu will carry a billion hopes as she remains one of the favourites to claim a medal at the delayed Tokyo Games, beginning July 23.

“I hope that she gets a medal. There is definitely going to be more pressure than last time on Sindhu,” Jwala said during a discussion on Indian badminton Prospect in a backstage appearance.

“In Rio, the circumstances were completely different for Sindhu, now the situation has completely changed, the focus is more on her and it depends on her how she takes this pressure.

“I hope she takes it positively. Rio wasn’t easy but Tokyo will definitely won’t be easy. Everybody knows her game, everybody watched her.”

Jwala also said the fact that players have not been able to play a lot of tournaments…

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