‘I ALMOST QUIT AFTER WORLDS’
SHUTTLER SAINA TALKS ABOUT THE DOWNTURN IN HER CAREER AND THANKS GOD FOR A SECOND CHANCE
Last August, Saina Nehwal almost thought of quitting the sport. She was winning tournaments, but her inability to overcome the top Chinese shuttlers laid her low in confidence and belief. And it was the time, when she had to make a decision on her career.
“I was feeling really bad. I almost thought of stopping playing after the World Championships. There was no improvement in my game. I was losing to the top players again and again. People even told me ‘Saina your career is finished’. But I think God gave one more chance, and I decided to move to Bengaluru and train under Vimal Kumar Sir,” said Saina, after she reached the final of the India Open Super Series here on Saturday.
The 25-year-old Hyderabadi spoke on her new success and ups and downs. Excerpts: You are set to become the World No.1 next week. Comments?
It’s something which is still unbelievable that I am the world No.1. It will probably sink in only when I see my name on the top of the ranking list. It’s a big achievement which every player dreams of. We saw Li Xuerui there for almost one-and-a-half years and now there will be a change in the name.
When I took to the sport, I never thought of becoming the World No.1. It was only my mom’s dream that I win an Olympic medal. But after achieving it, I am really very happy. . And I feel lucky to become the first woman shuttler to be No.1 after Prakash Sir, who is a legend. Who you would credit your success to?
I would like to thank Vimal Sir, he is putting a lot of effort. He has lost a lot of weight also. I would also like to thank my parents. They are not showing up as I have a match. They said, ‘Saina first concentrate on the match and then we can talk about it’.
Vimal Sir was confident that I would become the World No.1 only in May. But I though it would be tough. Your thoughts on the journey from picking up the rac- quet to becoming World No.1...
It’s been a long journey. I and my parents have made so many sacrifices, moving from Hyderabad to Bengaluru just to beat the top shuttlers in the world. By God’s grace it was a good decision, I have been showing good performances.
I want to keep winning titles for my country. But it will not be easy as I have to take care of my body and stay injuryfree as this is a very physically demanding sport. How difficult was the decision to shift to Bengaluru?
It was very difficult as my father is staying at home alone and I am staying with my mother in one small room there.
But then, I needed change in my training. I wanted someone to take care of it properly, just my matches. I know it’s difficult to focus on one player when there are so many players of the same level. And I didn’t want to just wait for my chance, because I know I have the ability to win and beat the top players. On Prakash Padukone’s role in your training?
Prakash Sir is always behind me, always giving me tips, sharing his experiences of playing at the international level. Both Vimal Sir and Prakash Sir got me out of that stage where I felt I was stuck and not able to beat the top players. Prakash Sir told me many of his moments where he lost his games and how he came back strong.
When I shared my problems with them, we sat for hours and discussed the feeling that I had in my mind and now I am much more relaxed. Changes you made in your game since training in Padukone Academy?
There are a lot of changes, mostly my movements on the court which I was lacking in. When you are confident of picking up shots, the confidence level goes up. These were the areas we worked on. There will be a lot of expectations on you at the Rio Olympics?
I need to cope with the expectations, keep working and improving on my mistakes. I hope and believe that I can win many more matches.