Former badminton world champion PV Sindhu announced that former Malaysian shuttler Muhammad Hafiz Hashim will be her new coach.
Former badminton world champion PV Sindhu announced that former Malaysian shuttler Muhammad Hafiz Hashim will be her new coach. India’s PV Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medallist, parted ways with her former coach, the Republic of Korea’s Park Tae-Sang, in February 2023. Sindhu had been training on and off with Hafiz Hashim at Hyderabad’s Suchitra Badminton Academy (SBA) since her split with the South Korean but only announced him officially as her coach on Tuesday. According to reports, PV Sindhu formally requested the Sports Authority of India (SAI) to approve Hafiz Hashim as her coach. The proposal to appoint Hashim as PV Sindhu’s coach till the Paris 2024 Olympics was accepted last Thursday.
Sindhu was thrilled beyond wits after knowing about the news. She remarked “As a former all-England champion in 2003, he sure has the pedigree as well. Having coach Sidek as his old coach, just add this aura to him. I extend a warm welcome aboard, Coach Hashim. Buckle up folks, it’s going to be a hell of a journey with Captain Hafiz at the helm.”
Hafiz achieved worldwide fame by winning the All England Open Badminton Championships in 2003. He is one of the most successful Malay badminton players aside from the Sidek brothers. Hafiz was among those coached by Misbun Sidek, the eldest of the Sidek brothers and a former national singles coach. On the court, Hafiz was known for his calmness regardless of who his opponent was. Besides the All-England Open, Hafiz has also won the Commonwealth Games on two occasions: 2002 & 2010. Hashim has also won medals at the Asian Games, Thomas Cup and Sudirman Cup with Team Malaysia.
Post his retirement, he joined the Suchitra Academy in Hyderabad in February 2023 on a three-year deal. Before Suchitra Academy, Hafiz was at the helm of affairs of the Badminton Association of Malaysia.
Hafiz Hashim comes as a full-time coach when the 28-year-old Sindhu dropped down to world No. 17 in the latest women’s singles BWF rankings. This is Sindhu’s lowest ranking since January 2013. According to reports, Sindhu formally requested the Sports Authority of India (SAI) to approve Hafiz Hashim as her coach last month. Her proposal to appoint the Malaysian as her coach till the Paris 2024 Olympics was accepted on 13 July. Hashim has already flown from New Delhi to Yeosu, where Sindhu is playing in the Korea Open. He will also be travelling with the Indian star for the Japan Open, Australian Open and the Asian Games. With an eye to clinch the coveted gold medal at the Paris Olympics 2024, this is definitely the best step towards that direction.
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