Saina fit and fine, targets All England meet
NEWDELHI: Back to full fitness and hungry for a good fight, ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal says she is ready to take on the world’s best at the prestigious All England Championship starting next week. After putting in the hard yards following a complete recovery from injury, Saina is aiming to regain her position in world badminton.
“My target is to be one of the best badminton players in the world and facing strong opposition from best players is the real enjoyment of playing badminton,” said Saina.
“I was runners-up in 2015 All England Championship but facing Carolina (Marin) was a very big task. She overpowered me and won the title. I am fine and well-trained now so I am ready to face my opponents,” she added.
Left heart-broken after a knee problem scuttled her Rio Olympic plans, Saina showed tremendous mental fortitude to recover well and resume competitive badminton in November, despite going through a surgery in August. The 26-year-old participated in three tournaments -China, Hong Kong and Macau -last year before competing at the Premier Badminton League for Awadhe Warriors in January.
Saina, who was still in the process of strengthening her knee, then notched up a stunning title win at the Malaysia Masters Grand Prix Gold to begin the season on a positive note.
Saina then decided to skip the Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold in Lucknow, saying she needed more time to be fully fit ahead of the Super Series events which start with the All England at Birmingham on March 7.
“I did not have enough time to train hard before the Malaysia Masters. But now I am fit, I have no injury issues. Practising hard under the watchful eyes of my coach for at least a fortnight prior to major tournaments is the most optimal time,” said the 2015 World Championship silver medallist. “I got enough time to train on full speed after the Malaysia Open. I have been training under the guidance of Vimal sir, keeping the new trend of the game in mind.” The London Olympics bronze-medallist is set to lock horns with defending champion Nozomi Okuhara of Japan in the opening round.