'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
For Saina Nehwal, wanting success, and doing everything in her power to achieve that desire, come naturally. She’s one of those players who pulls at your heart strings with her raw emotions. She’s adorable, supremely sweet and she has heralded the rise of badminton in India in the 21st century. Last year she was dogged by a spate of injuries; however, she’s in her best shape now (both physically and mentally). The extremely talented and powerful hitter of the shuttlecock talks more about her game with Sportskeeda’s correspondent Taruka:-
Taruka: Last year your performances were erratic. We know you are a very positive and hardworking person, but can you give us details about how you prepared yourself mentally and physically to come out of the slump?
Saina: I’m not entirely sure people are right when they call the year I had in 2011 as a ‘slump’ year. In 2010, I won 3 super series and 1 Grand Prix gold . In 2011, I won 1 Grand Prix and was runner-up in 3 Super Series – were my performances in 2011 much less than my results in 2010? I think I performed as well as always last year; I remain a positive person and I am confident I will show better results in the future.
Taruka: You were injured very frequently. Has the workload been too hard on you? Are you completely fit now?
Saina: It was actually just one injury which persisted for 2-3 months. It was a tough phase for me but I went through rehabilitation and my physios helped me recover. I am fully fit now.
Taruka: With the Olympics on the horizon, you are India’s biggest hope in badminton. Are the expectations of the country a burden on you? Does the pressure affect you?
Saina: Not at all. I am a professional athlete and pressure is a part of every professional sport. It will be a dream come true for me if I could defeat the Chinese on my way to a medal, so if there’s pressure, there’s also incentive. As of now, I am doing rigorous training for the Olympics with P. Gopi Chandji, so things are looking up at this moment.
Taruka: Have you modified your training structure for the Olympics? Anything special you are working on?
Saina: There is nothing much new that has been added, but the training has been more focused and intense. It’s all about getting your basics right and focusing on your goal, which in my case is perhaps the hardest of them all – an Olympic medal.
Taruka: Can you tell us about your training schedule?
Saina: My training Schedule is 6 to 7 hours per day except Sundays. It includes different types of exercises, court play, practice matches, gym and amusement and stamina building, all under the guidance of my coach Gopi Chand sir. I am a very active person and I love working out so I almost never skip my training sessions. I believe at the international level, it is fitness that counts the most. That’s because when you are competing at that level, everyone already has the skills; the player who wins is the player whose mental and physical fitness is better than his/her opponent. So yes, at the international level, fitness is absolutely paramount.
Taruka: What important tournaments are you playing before you participate in the Olympics?
Saina: I have already played the All-England, Swiss Open and Malaysia Open. The India super series is in April, and I will of course be participating in that. As for my schedule after the India super series, I will be deciding that in consultation with my coach.
Taruka: You are currently ranked No. 4 in the world. Do you have any ranking goals in mind for the rest of the year?
Saina: The three girls ranked above me are Chinese. Over the past year, these girls have been winning tournaments while I have been ending up as the runner-up in most of those tournaments. So my first focus should be on turning my runner-up finishes into title victories; I am not concerned about my ranking right now.
Taruka: You have been signed up by Olympic Gold Quest. What role has it played in your success?
Saina: Yes, the OGQ provides me with moral and financial support and with all the facilities that I require for my game. They are like this big, powerful force behind me. My job is to produce results that match their expectations, and that has been a strong motivating factor for me. The OGQ also supports players from other games and raises funds to provide financial backup for players across a wide variety of sports, so yeah, I think the OGQ has been doing a very good job developing the state of sports in India.
Taruka: How much of a priority is a podium finish in the upcoming Olympics for you?
Saina: I am set to give my best. Yes, to win a medal for India in the Olympics is my dream. But I will go step by step; I will give my hundred percent and leave the rest to God.
Taruka: What do you do in your leisure time when you are not playing badminton?
Saina: I get very little leisure time, and even in that time I constantly formulate strategies to win matches. But I like to go shopping in my free time. I also make it a point to catch up on my sleep in my off days. Occasionally I’ll go and check out the latest Hindi movie release.
