Saina Nehwal, India
Badminton
Saina Nehwal has spent the better part of the last two years hearing about PV Sindhu becoming India’s biggest badminton star, ready to take the mantle as the country’s big hope. Someone should have asked if Nehwal was ready to pass on the torch. After a couple of years where she’s suffered injuries and a slump in form, India’s first badminton Olympic medallist has roared back, beating Sindhu at the National Championships in both 2017 and 2018. Nehwal’s resurgence can only be a good thing for Indian badminton, giving the country two stars to pin their hopes on instead of one. The healthy rivalry budding between her and Sindhu will continue, of course, but while it does, Nehwal’s focus is entirely on herself. The 2020 Olympics in Tokyo bring the chance to top the bronze medal she won in 2012. Meanwhile, she’s already serving notice that she’s not giving up her spot as queen of Indian badminton just yet.
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– Both of Nehwal’s parents were badminton players, with father Harvir Singh and mother Usha Nehwal having both won state championships.
– When she reached No1 in the world rankings in 2015, she became the first Indian woman to do so.
– In 2016, the Indian government awarded Nehwal the Padma Bhushan, the country’s third-highest civilian honour.
Did you know…
Nehwal’s first sport was not badminton but karate, in which she earned a brown belt.
“My philosophy is not to be scared of anyone. If I play well, great. If I don’t, I learn from the match and move on.” – Saina Nehwal
Twitter: @nsaina
Instagram: nehwalsaina
