Double-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu has brought former World No. 1 Korean Lee Hyun-il as a consultant coach to her team with the apparent purpose of honing strokes and smoothing out court movements. This is essentially an extension of Sindhu’s choice from two seasons ago to bring in Malaysian Hafiz Hisham, a player with a similar level of elegance. The Korean left-hander will temporarily work with Anup Sridhar and her team as a coach until December 2024.

Hyun-il, a 2004 World No. 1 player, previously won the bronze at the World Championship. He won the 2008 Korea Open title and finished second in the 2022 Asian Games and the 2006 All-England Open. More than his titles, he was highly regarded for his gazelle-like court movement and stroke play, which helped to resolve some of Sindhu’s court coverage issues that have been severely limited in efficacy since her injuries.

Even though Sindhu has been switching trainers for the past two years—this is her sixth switch—her performance has stagnated for the past three seasons, and she is losing out on greater trophies. With her 2019 World title, she hasn’t yet been able to advance far in competition and challenge the Top 7 for crowns.

I’m thrilled to have Anup and Lee Hyun Il joining my team in this crucial period. Anup’s understanding of Indian badminton and his strategic approach has always impressed me, and I look forward to working closely with him. Having Lee with his meticulous preparation and legendary experience is an honor. I’ve always respected his attention to detail, and I can’t wait to learn from him during these next few months, Sindhu said in a press release.

The Korean will be useful when battling on the court as well. Vidhi Chowdary, who was assigned by the Sports Authority of India to supervise the changeover, will play a crucial role in Sindhu’s team. Her new physiotherapist is Nisha Rawat. Sindhu is undergoing intense training, and the 29-year-old shuttler is hoping to deliver big when she plays in the Arctic Open and Denmark Open in October.

In a recent interaction with the media, Hyun-il admitted that working with PV Sindhu was an easy decision. Our previous partnership in the PBL highlighted her fierce determination and exceptional talent, and I am excited to contribute to her growth and success in the upcoming tournaments.

Meanwhile, former world no. 1 player Kidambi Srikanth defeated Israel’s Daniil Dubovenko to reach the second round of the Macau Open 2024 men’s singles competition on Wednesday. Srikanth, who is rated 38th in the world badminton rankings, defeated his 102nd-ranked opponent with a scoreline of 21-14, 21-15 in the round of 32.

The 31-year-old Indian badminton star looked impressive right away in his first BWF competition since he had to withdraw due to injury in the Singapore Open in May. Starting the opening game with a 6-1 lead, Srikanth maintained his tempo and continued with the momentum to win the first game.

In the second game, Dubovenko closed the deficit to just one point at 11-10 and again at 14-13, despite Srikanth jumping out to a 6-0 lead. After regaining control, the sixth-seeded Indian shuttler finished the match in 47 minutes.

Srikanth will next play Ayush Shetty in the second round of the BWF Super 300 event on Thursday (September 26). Shetty defeated fellow countryman Alap Mishra in straight games 21-13, 21-5, to advance to the second round. Sindhu and Lakshya Sen are not competing in the Macau Open.