Focus is on fitness to win medal at Asian Games: Srikanth

The defence of four Super Series titles this season is not bothering Kidambi Srikanth as the ace shuttler is focussed on staying injury-free and winning a gold medal at the upcoming Asian Games.

"The biggest challenge for me these days is to maintain my fitness. I actually have issues with both my ankles. After the Olympics I had issues with my right ankle but last year I hurt my left ankle at the Nationals. So I have to be more careful before I plan my tournaments. So staying away from injury, that is what I am trying to do," Srikanth told PTI.

"Going forward there are 4-5 tournaments which are important this year, so the idea is to play at my 100 percent in all of them, without getting injured," added the 25-year-old, who clinched the silver medal at the Commonwealth Games.

Srikanth was in sensational form last season when he clinched four super series titles
"There are of course some other tournaments which are important like the World Championship, though you have it every year but being a world champion is a different thing. So there are many events which are big and for me the target is to be just my best for these events."
"But all other Super Series, of course, I do want to win, but they happen every year, so even if I lose in the semifinals, I know there will again be a Super 1000 or Super 750 tournament in a week or a month. So now I am going for Malaysia but my focus is to stay fit for Asian Games because if I miss out now then I will have to wait for another four years."
Talking about his schedule, Srikanth said: "I am playing three successive tournaments Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand and then I will skip the Singapore Open."
"I will take a break and play the World Championship and then again train and play at the Asian Games. Until the end of August, these are the five tournaments that I will be playing and I am not thinking much ahead."
"Being world no 1 again is not the priority now and I think more about winning the tournament, I don't go into a tournament to get those few points and become no 1 again, so it is about winning tournaments consistently,"