Twitter Co-founder Biz Stone aptly the road to glory for any goal-oriented individual when he said, “Timing, perseverance, and 10 years of trying will eventually make you look like an overnight success.” From multi-billionaires to sportspersons, the grind is inevitable; if one doesn't do the work, dreams never turn into reality.
Saina Nehwal reached the peak of her sport in April 2015, when she became the first Indian women's shuttler to achieve the world number 1 ranking. Everything seemed on track for a successful campaign in Rio, as she continued matching the top players even after she let go of the No. 1 spot. But an untimely career-threatening knee injury during the Olympics destroyed her chances of that one final achievement – the gold medal.
She said, “Just prior to Rio, both my coach and thought that it’s a mere inflammation. But after the first practice session the pain started to build up. Another practice session went, and the pain increased even more. After one point it was just unbearable, so I decided to tell my coach that I can't take it anymore.”
Saina ingested as many as seven painkillers before going out on the court for her match against Maria Ulitina in Rio. With every passing point, the amount of pain that her face was betraying seemed to be increasing. She was ranked world number 5 then, and the entire world was shocked that she was losing to an unseeded opponent. But it’s not in Saina's personality to complain about her situation.
Her coach Vimal Kumar said, “I asked her repeatedly, ‘are you sure that you want to go out and participate?’ The painkillers would only allow her to play at 15% of what she was capable of, and if it had gone to a three-setter, then she might have even collapsed on the court. Hence, you saw the heavy bandaging around her knee. I had spoken to you then as well about it, but at that point, we weren't aware of the situation.”
Despite the excruciating pain, Saina battled through the match without letting the world know about what she was dealing with. I was present at the event, and no one from the Indian media had an inkling about her injury until much later. Vimal added, “It’s not in her nature to complain and whine about things; she couldn't get the job done, she admitted it and left. It was only when the media interacted with me that I could reveal what went wrong.”
With no proper medic travelling with the Indian Olympic contingent, a fact that had raised several eyebrows during the Games, Saina was clueless about what exactly had happened to her.
“It was a very lonely flight back to India for her; we were both devastated, we were aiming for nothing but gold. Once we reached India, she got admitted to a hospital in Mumbai. It was declared that she had sustained an inter-articular injury, which essentially means that a piece of chopped bone was floating around in the mass near her knee region.
“The doctor said she shouldn't have even been able to move as patients with this particular problem undergo rehab for at least six months. It was a miracle that she even played two matches in Rio,” Kumar went on.
A tale of two Indian shuttlers: When Sindhu was playing the Olympics final, Saina was in surgery
Exactly four years ago, Saina was in London being declared the bronze medallist. But this time, when PV Sindhu walked out to play the final in Rio, Saina was on the verge of being taken into surgery, not knowing whether she would be able to play badminton ever again.
She said, “I just wanted to tell her (PV Sindhu), you go to the Olympics to represent the country, the country comes ahead of every other aspect. So I was hoping she would end up winning, but I won't lie I was worried because the doc told me that these sort of injuries could be career-threatening. I had a lot left to achieve, and I wasn't willing to get out this way.”
For Saina, climbing the international hierarchy of badminton began in 2008, when she was declared the world junior champion. Multiple CWG and Asian Games medals, Super Series titles and an eventual Olympic medal saw her reach the pinnacle of the sport. In fact, her rise inspired an entire generation of shuttlers, including the likes of Sindhu, to take up the sport seriously.
Saina had faced her fair share of injuries during the road to world domination, but none like this; nothing which threatened her sheer reason for existence – badminton. She added, “I think even after the surgery, the only thing I cared about was getting back on the court; it didn't matter to me whether there was pain or no pain. Badminton as a sport is constantly evolving; if you miss out on any substantial part, you will end up losing a lot of form and adaptability. The doctor told me three months; that sounded like too much.”
I told Saina she wasn’t fully fit, but she was relentless: Vimal Kumar
The rehabilitation process was a long one; the first six weeks were solely restricted to figuring out whether there was any inflammation or not. This meant Saina would remain bed-ridden or allowed very limited movement for all that time. However, as soon as she was given the green signal for mobility, she wanted to be back on court.
Vimal added, “At least three months of rest was advised by the doctor before getting back on court, but Saina was so sure that she was feeling 100%. I asked her whether she wanted to get back, and she was relentless.”
Within three weeks of a serious career-threatening injury, Saina was back on court training for future events.
“A lot of people will term it stupidity, but I think over time Saina has proved to the world that she doesn't like waiting for anything. If she feels she's ready, she will give her 100%. I honestly advised her not to play the Macau or Hong Kong Open, to rest and come back stronger in March,” said Vimal Kumar. “But she said, that's too long a break, and she would not be prepared for the next season. She also said that she let her country down in Rio, and she will not let that happen again.”
This particular statement might not mean a lot in the grander scheme of things, but it highlights the one reason why we shouldn’t be surprised to see a fully fit Saina return to the top. She is showcasing the same kind of motivation that saw her reach the world number 1 position in both the senior and junior levels.
You might think that after reaching this level at 26, other younger competitors like PV Sindhu might outmatch her for pace and reflexes. However, that is the same thing she was told before becoming world champion, before winning a Superseries title, before winning an Olympic medal and before she became world number 1. Doubt has led to the creation of a career that has ignited a sporting revolution in the country.
She added, “Of course, I want to, an Olympic gold medal is something I've dreamt of since a child, it’s something that motivates us every day. It’s something I really really want to have in my medal cabinet.”
Saina eventually returned at the China Open last month, before taking part in two more tournaments. When asked about her premature exits in those tournaments, she said, “I didn't expect to win at all, I'm so happy that with just three weeks of rehab, I was able to reach this far. Now I have an extended break, and I can work on my rehab even better.
I felt a bit of pain during the Macau Open, but you know it’s an athlete's job to deal with pain, it’s something that you have to do to win. It’s not like I get an injury one day and I decide to be away for an extended period. At times you need to play with them; my Rio experience taught me a lot in this regard. Now I know come March, I will be ready.”
Saina will be seen representing the Awadhe Warriors in the upcoming Premier Badminton League (PBL), before heading into the off-season. Whether she can regain her number 1 spot is something that time will decide. But her recovery from a career-threatening injury in half the estimated time shows that she will do everything in her power to make that possible.
