Saina Nehwal - India's Badminton Superstar

The family moved to Hyderabad and it was then that she began to take a serious interest in badminton. Saina did her Xll from St.Anns College in Mehdipatnam, Hyderabad. While she was still young, Saina Nehwal aced another sport apart from badminton and that was Karate. Not many might know that she is a brown belt champion in Karate.

Early Years and Coaching

After moving to Hyderabad, Saina trained in the Pullela Gopichand badminton academy, a training academy that helped a great deal in polishing her skills and making her a better player than she already was. Saina was initially coached by S. M. Arif a Dronacharya Award winner, and then by Pullela Gopichand till the September of 2014. Right now she is being coached by the former Indian badminton champion and national coach Vimal Kumar.

It isn’t easy to be a successful sportsperson in India where so much emphasis is given to academic performance. And for a woman hailing from a middle-class family,that makes it even more difficult. But for the hard-working, determined and extremely talented Saina Nehwal, this was not difficult.

She began winning tournaments right from the year 2004. She won the junior badminton championship in 2004 and later again in 2005. In 2006, she won her first big title, the prestigious Asian Satellite Badminton Tournament of the India chapter in the under-19 category. Saina managed to win in twice which no one before her had ever managed to do. In 2009, she won her first super series title.

Senior Career

In 2008, she became the first Indian woman to reach the quarterfinals of an Olympics. She eventually lost it in the quarter final, but it set the tone for her future performances and let us know to keep an eye on her career. In 2010, she won the gold medal in the Commonwealth games in Delhi beating Wong Mew Choo of Malaysia. 

"When I was a match-point down, it was like a shock. It was a big match and winning it means a lot to me. Even many years from now, those present here will always remember how Saina won the gold. It is a proud feeling" -- Saina after winning her match.

Fighting against a whole lot of odds that constantly blocked her path, Saina Nehwal, whose quiet demeanour fools us into thinking that she’s a delicate and fragile young girl, went on to prove that they were nothing fragile about her steely determination. She’s now the world champion ranked World Number 1 in women’s badminton, raising the pedestal of India to the whole world.

Saina Nehwal with Sachin Tendulkar

Saina Nehwal has many firsts associated with her career. She’s the first woman to win a title in the junior badminton championship, the first woman to win a medal for badminton in the Olympics and the first Indian to won a super series tournament. There are countless other achievements that Saina is accredited with.

"I want to be the best, it's not about the ranking, it's about being consistent"-Saina Nehwal

Achievements and Milestones

Saina Nehwal Presented Her Racquet to Narendra Modi

Saina reached the no 1 ranking in the BWF Rankings in 2015 and is currently ranked as the world no 6 (as of 4th April 2016).

Personal Life 

As of right now, Saina wants to focus on her Badminton Career rather than trying to find a boyfriend or settling down. According to her mother, she often gets angry and upset if the topic of marriage is brought up in front of her. She lives with her mother in a small accommodation in Bengaluru so that she can train with her present coach, Vimal Kumar.

Today she stands as the Icon for many a young athlete in India who are constantly asked to focus on studies and are more often than not discouraged to take up sports other than cricket. Here's wishing her all the best!

Interview With Saina Nehwal