Kolkata: World No. 2 shuttler and Olympic champion Carolina Marin said that she would not miss the Premier Badminton League (PBL), scheduled from January 1-14 and the sole reason being that the 23-year old can’t wait for a match-up against the PV Sindhu in the third edition of the tournament.
When Marin first visited India in 2013 to play in the Premier
Badminton League, not many people knew of her. Now, all of India knows the Spaniard as the one who defeated Sindhu to win a gold at the Rio Olympics in August.
In an interaction through Skype as quoted by the media, Marin said, “It’s going to be exciting to play Sindhu again. We hope to give the fans in India an exciting match like our Olympic final.”
Marin, who has been picked for 61.5 lakh, will be playing for the
Hyderabad Hunters, while Olympic silver medallist Sindhu will be
representing the Chennai Smashers.
The world No 1, who has played against both Saina Nehwal and Sindhu, said that her line of attack for both were different. “I cannot pick who is tougher of the two,” she said. “Sindhu is very attacking, while Saina has some great skills and stroke quality. So my strategy for the two is completely different.”
Marin also added that she learnt a lot about India and its people and is keen to visit the country for PBL. “It’s a pleasure to be associated with the PBL. It’s a very exciting tournament and we have a very strong team in the Hunters. I believe we can go all the way and win the tournament, and surely,” added the Spaniard.
“I am looking forward to my stay in Hyderabad. I hear that fans in India turn up in huge numbers. I am excited about the event that awaits me.”
She might definitely share an on-court rivalry with Sindhu, but when Sindhu invited Marin for dinner, she smilingly accepted saying, “Of course, I will be there,” reminding of the friendly relations the two share. Also, it would be interesting to see the Marin vs Sindhu match create an interesting dilemma for the fans. Who will the Hyderabad crowd support — their very own champion Sindhu, or Marin, who will be playing for the city’s team?
(With inputs from NDTV)