Devika Sihag after Super 300 badminton title: ‘Mum saw my potential, and convinced dad to let me move to Bangalore; love quick speed aspect of the sport’
Devika Sihag found it all too much, too soon, when her father, enrolled her into badminton, alongwith her younger brother at the Tau Devilal stadium in Panchkula. “Frankly I didn’t enjoy it much because there was pressure to study also. But slowly as results came at state level, I started appreciating playing one of the fastest sports. I love the speed,” Devika says after winning her first Super 300 title, the first Indian singles woman since PV Sindhu to step up to that podium, when she won Thailand Masters after opponent Goh Jin Wei retired clutching her hamstring at 21-8, 6-3 down.
The Haryana teen’s father, a lawyer, would run at the stadium for fitness and was keen on his children taking up sport. Devika lost the Late Krishna Khaitan finals to Tara Shah one year, but her potential was always enormous. As she shot up in height, she’s 172 cms or near 5’9″ now, her mother a teacher had to persuade her father, to allow her to move South to Bangalore. “At first dad was not ready to send me. But my mum talked him into it. In 6 years I’ve gotten used to the sacrifice of staying away from home,” she said.
She currently trains at Vimal Kumar’s Centre of Excellence, formerly PPBA, and has benefitted from Indonesian coach Irwansyah training PV Sindhu there, while coaching Isharani Baruah and Sihag alongside. Sindhu’s superior fitness is a constant aspiration for Devika, as she aims higher.
Still, the confidence to go the distance, had been severely missing all of last year, when Devika kept losing in three sets to mostly other Indian peers. “She’s been very consistent this whole week, and patient. She always had the big smash, but needed someone to remind her to employ it,” said coach Sayali Gokhale, who was herself returning to travelling duties after six years and birth of her daughter, now 5.
Devika Sihag in action at the Thailand Masters 2026 (Picture Credit – Badminton Photo)
In dumping out two higher ranked players, including a World No 16 at Thailand, Devika not only reiterated her attacking prowess, but astutely mixing the drops and clears with the smashes, that owing to her height have considerable depth to trouble top names.
Goh, a former Top 20 but daunted by injury, had played three-sets in all her four matches, and struggled to move. Devika, whose own on-court movement is work in progress, showed clarity in when to use her big attack and when to vary strokes at the net or stay in the rally. Perhaps the biggest quality visible in the 20-year-old is how she can fall back on retrieving in crunch moments – something that attack-heavy players tend to be reluctant to do. “This week I just decided to give my 100 percent and not think if winning or losing. That released pressure and I played freely,” she said after the win.
She had been homesick a few months after she moved to Bangalore six years back, but coaches including Umendra Rana and Sagar Chopda had helped her settle in and see the merits in training at a big centre. “Ya I miss my home made rajma chaawal, but I enjoy badminton more, and Bangalore with Irwansyah sir has helped in improving my speed and skills,” she says. Known for her ready wit and one-liners, bossing over the boys and holding her own, her personality takes after her father – doesn’t speak much, but quips when needed.
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In her 6 years away from on-court coaching, Sayali has seen a tremendous change in how consistent women’s singles has gotten, and the pace. “I frankly think all Indian girls can start getting big results with very small changes. But they need to work on speed and strength because consistency is high on the Tour. Devika needs to stay injury free. Technically she’s good, but strength has to go up,” she says.
Sayali however was mighty impressed with how professional Devika’s pre (warmup) and post match recovery routines and discipline on food was. At Bangalore, qa group of 10 coaches and 4 support staff tend to the group. “She retrieves well, but there’s scope for improvement in her court speed. She makes good openings and keeps opponents guessing at the net,” Sayali says.
Thailand always portends good omens for Indians as this is where Kidambi Srikanth and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty struck their first titles of note.
Devika, whose tall frame helps her with a fluid attack, has struggled to break through due to persistent knee patella issues. She had also been low on confidence this past season as niggles held her back.
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Against Goh, Devika executed the simple strategy of making the Malaysian ranked No 68 run plenty, knowing of her discomfort in movement. Devika constantly sent drops to the front court, even serving effectively straight so the shuttle dipped very close to the net. Her winners included straight smashes and cross drops that Goh couldn’t reach, and though the movement was an impediment, those shots would’ve landed her winners against even quick movers.
Devika has made the most of her height just like PV Sindhu, in developing an attacking game which her academy coaching Sagar Chopda says is a result of a bunch of things coming together. “More consistent and solid aggression in this tournament with calm and composed attitude. It’s long time coming – she has finally played to her potential,” he said. The smashes though well placed, can get even whippier.
Earlier, the rangy shuttler had accounted for World No 16 Supanida Katethong and gone on to evict fifth seed Huang Yu-Hsun of Taiwan in semis. What’s been most notable is her composure in finishing off sets from the 15-point onwards.
Chopda recalled a message he had sent her when she was struggling to close out, matches last year, a result of her wavering mind and low confidence as she couldn’t bear fellow Indians. “And stay confident for the next tournament. You’re playing well but losing close matches – just one good match you convert and you’ll be back to winning ways,” he had told her.
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On Sunday, with Sayali offering the calm advice like all this week, Devika finally broke through for her first title. Trained as sparring partner to PV Sindhu, by Irwansyah and Vimal Kumar, Devika will hope to build on this result.
