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The Hindu
26-06-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Despite recent setbacks, Sindhu confident of turning the corner on the tour
She hasn't won a title in nine outings since the Syed Modi International in November last year, not reached the last four, in fact, but P.V. Sindhu remains optimistic about the future. Training with Indonesian coach Irwansyah since the beginning of this year, Sindhu has come close on a couple of occasions but fallen short, specially in matches that stretched into the decider. 'The women's singles game has changed. Earlier it was more of attack and fast rallies but now it's much more defensive with long rallies and long matches, the game has slowed down. 'I need to change my training schedule accordingly. I need to do my physical fitness and endurance. We have been working on that, especially in terms of being more patient to continue the rallies and keep the shuttle in play for 30-40 strokes,' the double Olympic medalist told select mediapersons at the SAI Centre here on Thursday. Sindhu, who was visiting to test her strength and endurance at the SAI Bengaluru's state-of-the-art Sports Science Centre, insisted there were no concerns but admitted training and recovery modules have to adapt with age. 'Fitness and training wise everything is going well. We have two more weeks to prepare before we start off with Japan and China. It is important to be 100 percent fit physically and mentally otherwise it will be difficult to come back from injuries. 'We used to play multiple consecutive events in our 20s. But now you have to make sure your body condition is good, you can't just go out there and play 5-6 tournaments in a row and not be fit, risk injury and make it worse. You need to make sure how the body is feeling after every tournament,' she said. Questions about her recent results were inevitable and Sindhu admitted they were a concern but added that things were moving in the right direction. 'I know people might say you have won everything, there's no pressure. But it is important to make sure I maintain it. Recent results definitely bother me. I have been working on changing my mindset after losses. Sometimes you just get sad but it's important to bounce back. Earlier I was losing easily but recently there have been some tough matches with top athletes. The difference is little but hopefully in China and Japan you will see the results,' she signed off.
India Gazette
09-05-2025
- Sport
- India Gazette
Hardik, Manpreet, Harmanpreet have guided me: India hockey player Rajinder Singh
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], May 9 (ANI): India hockey player Rajinder Singh shared his experience of playing with the men's hockey team and revealed that skipper Harmanpreet Singh, Manpreet Singh, and Hardik have helped him a lot. Rajinder made his senior debut in October last year during a two-match series against Germany, and eight months later, he has become a pivotal part of the Indian men's hockey team. The midfielder is currently training at the Senior National Camp at SAI Bengaluru ahead of India's FIH Hockey Pro League 2024/25 matches in Europe. Talking about the ongoing camp, Rajinder said, as quoted from Hockey India, 'The preparations are going really well. We are working a lot on our fitness. Some players are focusing on fitness, while others are working on stick-and-ball skills, so it's a combination of both. The earlier camp before the Senior National Championships was solely focused on fitness, but now we are doing a bit of everything.' India played the home leg of the FIH Hockey Pro League in Bhubaneswar in February this year, where they bagged fifteen points with five wins in eight games and are currently placed third in the points table. Their three losses came against Spain, Germany, and England, all of whom they defeated in the reverse fixtures. Reflecting on the team's performance in the tournament so far, and talking about the matches ahead, Rajinder said, 'There were quite a few ups and downs in Bhubaneswar, but we learned a great deal from them. We still have video sessions on those matches as we prepare for the upcoming leg. The teams we'll be facing next are very strong, so we need to perform at our best. Our aim is to qualify for the 2026 World Cup through the Pro League.' 'During the Bhubaneswar leg, we realised that while we were making circle entries, we struggled to convert our chances. Right now, we're focusing a lot on our game inside the circle to ensure we convert field goals. We don't want to rely heavily on penalty corners,' he added, discussing India's current strategy. At just 22, Rajinder has already become a core member of the team and a key presence in the midfield. Hailing from Haryana, he rose through the ranks of the junior team, with whom he won the Sultan of Johor Cup in 2022 and the Junior Asia Cup in 2023. He shared his experience playing with the senior squad and said, 'I've learned a lot during my time with the senior players. They guide us youngsters well, and whenever we make mistakes, they show us how to handle the situation, stay calm, and focus on our game.' Rajinder credited senior players Hardik Singh, Manpreet Singh, and captain Harmanpreet Singh for his rapid development over the past few months. 'Hardik paji and Manpreet paji play in the midfield with me, so they guide me a lot. After every mistake, Hardik Paji tells me what I should do next. Even Harman paji often calls out to me from behind to guide my positioning,' he said. Rajinder has been in fine form this year. He also played a crucial role for the Hyderabad Toofans in the Hockey India League 2024/25 season, helping the franchise finish as runners-up. He continued to build on that momentum and impressed during the opening games of the FIH Hockey Pro League 2024/25, featuring in seven out of India's eight matches. India's European leg of the FIH Hockey Pro League is scheduled for June, where they will face formidable opponents in the Netherlands, Argentina, Australia, and Belgium. When asked about his personal goals for the upcoming tournament, Rajinder replied, 'The teams we are about to face play an extremely aggressive and attacking style of hockey. I want to focus on my defence because I don't want any player to dodge past me or break through my defence. They play a very physical game, so I will ensure I play shoulder-to-shoulder with them.' (ANI)
Hans India
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Hans India
‘Hardik, Manpreet and Harmanpreet have helped me a lot': Rajinder Singh on playing with senior squad
Bengaluru: Rajinder Singh made his senior debut in October last year during a two-match series against Germany and eight months later, he has become a pivotal part of the Indian men's hockey team. The midfielder is currently training at the Senior National Camp at SAI Bengaluru ahead of India's FIH Hockey Pro League 2024/25 matches in Europe. Talking about the ongoing camp, Rajinder said, 'The preparations are going really well. We are working a lot on our fitness. Some players are focusing on fitness, while others are working on stick-and-ball skills, so it's a combination of both. The earlier camp before the Senior National Championships was solely focused on fitness, but now we are doing a bit of everything.' India played the home leg of the FIH Hockey Pro League in Bhubaneswar in February this year, where they bagged fifteen points with five wins in eight games and are currently placed third in the points table. Their three losses came against Spain, Germany and England - all of whom they defeated in the reverse fixtures. Reflecting on the team's performance in the tournament so far and talking about the matches ahead, Rajinder said, 'There were quite a few ups and downs in Bhubaneswar, but we learned a great deal from them. We still have video sessions on those matches as we prepare for the upcoming leg. The teams we'll be facing next are very strong, so we need to perform at our best. Our aim is to qualify for the 2026 World Cup through the Pro League.' 'During the Bhubaneswar leg, we realised that while we were making circle entries, we struggled to convert our chances. Right now, we're focusing a lot on our game inside the circle to ensure we convert field goals. We don't want to rely heavily on penalty corners,' he added, discussing India's current strategy. At just 22, Rajinder has already become a core member of the team and a key presence in the midfield. Hailing from Haryana, he rose through the ranks of the junior team, with whom he won the Sultan of Johor Cup in 2022 and the Junior Asia Cup in 2023. Sharing his experience playing with the senior squad, he said, 'I've learned a lot during my time with the senior players. They guide us youngsters well, and whenever we make mistakes, they show us how to handle the situation, stay calm, and focus on our game.' Rajinder credited senior players Hardik Singh, Manpreet Singh and captain Harmanpreet Singh for his rapid development over the past few months. 'Hardik paji and Manpreet paji play in the midfield with me, so they guide me a lot. After every mistake, Hardik paji tells me what I should do next. Even Harman paji often calls out to me from behind to guide my positioning.' Rajinder has been in fine form this year, also playing a crucial role for the Hyderabad Toofans in the Hero Hockey India League 2024/25 season, helping the franchise finish as runners-up. He continued to build on that momentum and impressed during the opening games of the FIH Hockey Pro League 2024/25, featuring in seven out of India's eight matches. India's European leg of the FIH Hockey Pro League is scheduled for June, where they will face formidable opponents in the Netherlands, Argentina, Australia and Belgium. When asked about his personal goals for the upcoming tournament, Rajinder replied, 'The teams we are about to face play an extremely aggressive and attacking style of hockey. I want to focus on my defence because I don't want any player to dodge past me or break through my defence. They play a very physical game, so I will ensure I play shoulder-to-shoulder with them.'
