Sindhu criticises Asian Games badminton schedule after quarter-final loss

PV Sindhu has criticised the Asian Games badminton schedule after playing three singles matches within 24 hours and losing her quarter-final to China’s Chen Yufei. Sindhu played her third-round match against Tomoka Miyazaki late on Saturday night, with the contest ending at about 1.30am on Sunday. She returned to the court for the quarter-final against Chen at around 1pm the same day.

She lost the three-game match 21-11, 18-21, 10-21. Sindhu said the timetable had not been organised well and that recovery, rather than mental preparation alone, was the key issue. She said players had gone to bed late before returning to play in the morning and argued that fatigue could affect movement during long rallies even when a player felt mentally prepared.

Unnati Hooda, who also lost a three-game quarter-final, said she would not blame her defeat on the schedule but believed it could have been managed better. HS Prannoy had separately raised concerns about the short turnaround after the team-event medal ceremony, including travel and late meals before early matches. Sindhu also objected to the absence of Hawk-Eye on Court 4, where her quarter-final was played.

She said several line calls had appeared close and that players could not challenge decisions without cameras and a review system. She argued that a successful challenge can provide an important point and advantage, particularly in a crucial match. Hawk-Eye was available only on the show courts, according to the source material.

India ended the individual badminton events without a medal for the first time in 12 years. The country’s men’s team bronze remained its medal from the competition.