Former Indian national coach Vimal Kumar is hopeful that Saina Nehwal will return to competition in "six to eight weeks" after undergoing a knee surgery in Mumbai last week. Kumar has been coaching Saina since 2014 after the shuttler moved on from previous coach Pullela Gopichand.
Kumar said that the shuttler can start her rehabilitation work within the next three weeks and could be back playing on the international circuit by November this year. Saina had been under immense pain during the Olympic Games and was knocked out in the preliminary stages. She returned home to undergo a surgery after it was later learnt that she was carrying an injury into the Games.
Kumar explained, “The muscles get considerably weak after you undergo a procedure like this. Your quadriceps, hamstring, calf area, all need to be strengthened. Nothing is wrong with her other tendons, ligaments, ACL, it is just the cracked bone. How you take this disappointment in your stride, that is the key. She is a tough girl, she can always come back. But yes, the disappointment will be there of what happened at the Olympics.”
Saina’s coach also spoke about Saina's premature departure from the Games in Rio. He explained that the shuttler had first complained of "slight discomfort" and pain in the knee a couple of days before their scheduled departure for Rio.
He said that Saina continued to experience “slight pain” during her first workout in Rio but had complained of nothing too serious. However, the pain started to increase when she played her first match against Brazil’s Lohaynny Vicente on August 11. It was visible during her match that the shuttler was in pain as she beat the Brazilian 21-17, 21-17.
Saina was given painkillers and injections to play through the pain as she had to play her second match against Maria Ultina of Ukraine and beat her to make the pre-quarterfinals. But unfortunately, the shuttler could not manage to beat the Ukrainian and thus, knocked out of the Games.
Kumar further said, “During the match, she started to experience an unbearable amount of pain. She couldn't even walk immediately after the match.” On her return to India it was revealed that the shuttler had a very serious injury in her right knee and surgery was the last option. It was also said that carelessness before and during the Olympics had aggravated the injury.
Saina had previously suffered from an ankle injury last year and had only returned to the circuit in March this year. She won her second Australian Open title in July to make her a contender for the podium in Rio, however, the unfortunate timing of her injury means that the shuttler has now slipped four spots to number nine in the latest women’s rankings and will it is not long before she drops out of the top-10.
