What’s the story?
There’s disappointment in store for Indian badminton fans as Saina Nehwal has opted out of the Syed Modi International, which is scheduled to begin with the qualifying rounds at Lucknow on Tuesday. The two-time champion, who won the Malaysia Masters to give a rousing start to her 2017 season, plans to take an extended break to return to peak fitness.
“I just came out of such a major injury and I can’t push my knee with back-to-back tournaments and get injured again,” the former World No. 1 told PTI.
When asked about which tournament she is targeting her return at, the 26-year-old has revealed that she is looking to come back at the German Grand Prix Gold at the end of February.
“Most probably German Grand Prix Gold, it depends on my fitness and how good I feel. I need a few good weeks to be at my best which I didn’t get after I recovered from rehab.”
With Saina’s withdrawal, the Rio Olympic silver medallist PV Sindhu remains the only big attraction for Indians in the women’s singles draw.
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Nehwal resumed competitive play in November two months after her knee surgery and has been very cautious about her schedule so that it does not hamper her recovery process. After participating in three tournaments last year, Nehwal played the Premier Badminton League and the Malaysia Masters back-to-back for three weeks in a row at the beginning of 2017.
The heart of the matter
The shuttle queen has maintained that she still needs time to get back to full strength. Continuing to play in back-to-back events simply robs her of a precious opportunity to focus on her rebuilding of the muscle mass and strengthening of the knee.
And that is essential for one to confidently take on the top players in the world’s biggest tournaments. Saina herself has admitted to feeling physically and mentally exhausted after playing for the least three weeks. It is in her best interest that she takes time away to work on her rehab.
Sportskeeda’s take
Nehwal has selected the right time for the hiatus as the Superseries events begin from early March and the season will be in full flow from then. She would not be able to get a breather then with four Superseries events packed in two months.
Her absence might take a lot of sheen away from the Syed Modi International, but this will definitely help the London Olympic bronze medallist in the long run.
