Saina’s time off is a blessing in disguise: Vimal
› After the knee injury, she was struggling, she lost some close matches. She has put in some good effort and if she can play to her potential then it is possible to beat the top players. VIMAL KUMAR, on Saina’s break
NEW D EL HI: Sai na Nehw al has been away from spotlight for a while and coach Vimal Kumar feels it might turn out to be a blessing in disguise for the injury-ravaged player when she compete sat the World Championship in Glasgow next week.
The first Indian woman to cl inch a silver medal at the World Championship, in 2015 at Jakarta, Saina has been struggling ever since, limping out of the Olympics last year with a knee injury. Even though the Indian recovered well from the injury to win the Malaysia Masters but she has never reached her peak, losing some close matches against opponents whom she has dominated in the last decade.
“After the knee injury, she was struggling, she lost some close matches. She has put in some good effort and if she can play to her potential then it is possible to beat the top players,” a guarded Vimal said. “This time, the focus is not on her.”
With two Super Series titles and a final finish this year, Kidambi Srikanth will be the cynosure of all eyes as he carries India’ s hope sat the World Championship starting August 21.
B Sai Praneeth and Olympic silver-medallist PV Sindhu also clinched a Super Series title each at the Singapore Open and India Open but a title has eluded Saina so far this year. Vimal, however, said it was not a concern.
“It happens in individual sports and all the girls are also improving, they are all young girls, against whom she has been playing,” said the former chief National Coach. “Whether it is (Nitchaon) Jindapol or Busanan (Ongbumrungpan), they also went on to beat Akane Yamaguchi or Tai Tzu (Ying), who are in the top 5, so they have similar standards and on their day they can beat each other.”Saina has got a bye in the opening round and will take on the winner of the match between Switzerland’s Sabrina Jaquet and Ukraine’s Natalya Voytsekh with a potential clash against Korea’s second seed Sung Ji Hyun for a place in the pre-quarterfinals.