Did Saina Nehwal leave Pullela Gopichand's academy due to PV Sindhu? Here's what Sindhu thinks...

New Delhi: There was a lot of controversy when ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal left Pullela Gopichand's academy in 2014.

Saina, who left Gopichand's academy to train with another coach Vimal Kumar in Bengaluru, had later said that the former All England championship winner did not have enough time for her.

When asked whether her second Bronze medal at World Championships forced Saina to leave Gopichand's academy, PV Sindhu told The Times of India, "I don't think it's about what I did. It's about what she wants. She felt that she wanted to go somewhere else, so she left."

Sindhu, who became the first Indian shuttler to win a Silver medal at Olympics in Rio, also added that Gopichand is someone who has been very supportive to all his players and it's not that she has gained from Saina leaving the academy.

"Nothing like that but he (Gopi) has always been very supportive to all the players he looks after. Even at that time (when Saina left), I was much junior. He used to train her first thing in the morning. Gopi sir gives equal share of attention to each and every player," the 21-year-old said.

After splitting with Gopichand, Saina became the first Indian player to win a Silver medal at World Championships in 2015 after losing to Spain's Carolina Marin in the final.