Asian Games 2026: PV Sindhu Slams Badminton Scheduling, Says Three Matches In 24 Hours Left No Time to Recover

PV Sindhu criticised the badminton schedule at the Asian Games 2026 on Sunday after her quarterfinal defeat, saying three matches in 24 hours left her without enough time to recover. The two-time Olympic medallist lost to China’s Chen Yufei after returning to court hours after a late-night third-round match.

Sindhu had played twice on Saturday, with her third-round match ending after midnight, and was back on court on Sunday afternoon for the quarterfinal. Her remarks put the focus on player workload at a stage of the tournament where recovery and preparation can shape results.

She later repeated that view in a late-night post on X, where she wrote, “It took a toll,” and said she was still hurting after letting the quarterfinal slip from her grasp.

Compressed Match Schedule

The turnaround was tight. Sindhu played her second-round match on Saturday afternoon, finished her third-round match at around 1 a.m. local time on Sunday and then started her quarterfinal at around 1:30 p.m. local time on Sunday.

Asked if she had ever played two matches in a major championship earlier, Sindhu said, “Not really, because the scheduling was not really well organised is what I feel.”

She added, “We literally slept really late and then coming back in the morning (on Sunday), playing two matches in a day. Recovery is the most important priority.”

For Sindhu, the issue was physical strain more than mindset. “It’s more than mentally preparing, you need to recover. Even though you think you are doing good, physically you might not be able to go there or you might not be able to play,” she said.

Long rallies made it harder. “When there are long rallies, definitely yes, recovery. When you had a good thing, you would automatically (go) but your legs don’t move,” she said.

She still saw positives in the contest. “But I think apart from that it was a good game overall but it’s just that the scheduling should have been a bit better,” she said.

Other Players React

Sindhu was not alone. Unnati Hooda, who lost her quarterfinal to Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi, also criticised the schedule after many players had to play more than one match in a day.

Hooda said, “I will not blame my loss (in quarterfinals) to that but the scheduling could have been managed better.”

The parallel criticism underlined that the complaint went beyond one player’s defeat and touched a wider tournament issue.

Line Calls Frustration

Sindhu also questioned the lack of review technology on her court. She played on Court 4 at the Ichinomiya Gymnasium Hall, where there was no Hawkeye system or player challenge facility.

That technology was available only on Courts 1 and 2. Sindhu felt the absence mattered in a quarterfinal decided by fine margins.

She said, “There were no cameras here. That was really sad. I felt that 2-3 shots were on the line. In the quarter-finals in the Asian Games, there should have been a camera is what I feel. Because these are the crucial matches.”

Future Focus

Sindhu said she was not looking as far ahead as the Asian Games 2030 and was instead focused on the next step in her career. Managing her body, she made clear, now sits at the centre of that plan.

“If I have it in me, definitely yes. I just need to stay injury-free. It’s just, what’s next? That’s very important. Step-by-step is important,” she said.

She then added, “Yeah, definitely one year at a time. It’s important that I just focus on what’s next. Because you’re not 20 anymore, right? You need to take care of your body, take care of everything. So it’s very important.”

Tournament selection will matter. “We’ll have to pick and choose tournaments. What to do, what to play and what not to play. Because your body, taking care of your body also is important,” Sindhu said.

She is expected to compete in the European circuit later in the year. What keeps her going, she said, is unchanged. “I have it in me the passion and the love towards sport. That keeps me going irrespective of how many medals I’ve got. I think that’s important,” she said.

She added, “At the end of the day, you need to love playing sport. That passion towards the sport keeps you going. And that’s the only thing. If you don’t have that passion, if you don’t feel like going, you can’t. So I still know that I have it in me. I can do it and I’m enjoying it.”

Late-Night Post

Sindhu expanded on her feelings in a late-night message on X after her Asian Games campaign ended. The post mixed regret over the quarterfinal with frustration over the physical toll of the schedule and gratitude towards supporters.

She wrote, “I needed a little time to put this into words. My Asian Games campaign is over, and I’m hurting. Three points from closing out that quarterfinal. I keep coming back to those three points. Like in China, long, demanding rallies at the most critical moments turned the match. I had my chance. Letting it slip hurts.”

She then spelt out the strain of the turnaround. “Three matches in 18 hours. Back at 3 a.m., out again at 8:30 a.m. It took a toll. But after a camp that gave me every reason to believe, I wanted so much more. My team and I are already working on closing out those moments. We will fix it.”

The post also pointed to why the defeat still stings. “I’m hurting, but that’s okay. I’m glad it still means enough to hurt this much. I still want this. I still bring all of myself to that court. That feeling keeps me going,” she wrote.

Sindhu also placed the loss in a longer frame, saying this was her fourth Asian Games after her first in 2014. “There’s room for pride, too. From my first Asian Games in 2014 to my fourth now, twelve years of giving everything for India. I want to let myself feel that. One painful result cannot define a journey that means so much,” she wrote.

She ended with a message to fans: “To everyone who stayed up, cheered and believed: I wanted those last three points for us, too. Thank you for standing beside me. I’ll go again.”