I am single and ready to play badminton: Saina Nehwal

Zeenews Sports Bureau

Olympic bronze medalist Saina Nehwal, the first ever shuttler from India to win an Olympic medal at the 2012 Games in an exclusive interview with zee news said ‘’it feels great that Indian players got 6 medals at London Olympics. I can see the blissfulness amongst every Indian and I myself feel really proud that Indians are doing so well in sports.’’

In a free-wheeling interview with Zeenews.com’s Swati Chaturvedi on her chat show Kahiye Janab, Saina said ‘’I hope we shall bring more medals for our country in future and on the Independence Day this is the best gift to India’’.

On being asked how does it feel when you see Indian flag in the stadium, she said “it feels great that we are serving our country, every year we are playing so many tournaments and making Indians proud. So feeling of getting a bronze medal at Olympics when you are standing on the podium cannot be expressed. When hard work and sacrifices that my parents, coaches and players whom with I play gives this much recognition feels great. Everything comes in your mind when you are standing on a podium and representing your country. It’s a very special feeling.

I’m sure all the medal winners are feeling the same. Achieving your parents dream is such a big thing and after you achieve it, the bliss inside can’t be explained. Happiness we get after achieving this much is totally different. Holding an Olympic medal was a dream in childhood, now it’s just like a dream come true for me.”

Speaking in a lighter vein Saina Nehwal said that she is not thinking about anything else other than badminton. On being asked whether there is marriage on the cards, Saina retorted back saying, “I am single and ready to play badminton. I do not have interest in anything else.”

Saina Nehwal is currently the 4th in the ranking list and only non-Chinese in the top 5. With the Chinese so dominant in the sport of Badminton Saina believes her tough training regime has helped her to maintain the top 5 position.

Saina said that the Chinese are so strong in the racquet sports only because they have been producing champions for the last 20 years and every district and province in China has an
Olympic champion or a world champion as a player and more importantly as a coach.

Whenever she plays a tournament, her team has to make strategy for 12 Chinese players to win the event. Saina believes that sponsors from corporate sector also play a big role in badminton being such a power house discipline for the North Asians. Govt. support has been the key and Saina is impressed by the fact that even the Indian Govt. has been supporting the Olympic sports and improvements are there to see.

On her personal level, Saina feels that she is at the top of her game and her form is at the peak right now. Badminton being a physical sport demands daily training and she makes sure that she doesn’t miss a single day’s practice. Her training regime is so rigorous that she has often cried during the sessions.