JWALA SLAMS SAIINA FOR HER COMMENTS ON TAUFIK
Top doubles badminton player Jwala Gutta on Wednesday hit out at singles star Saina Nehwal for her comments that Taufik Hidayat should accept the reality that he is a retired player and cannot get highest base price in IBL.
Hidayat, who is Saina’s IBL teammate in Hyderabad Hotshots franchise, had complained of unfair treatment to foreign players by the league organisers. Hidayat was bought for USD 15,000 at his base price and the Indonesian felt he deserved much more.
Saina, however, said Hidayat should realise that he was a retired player, a comment which did not amuse Jwala. “Taufik Hidayat is one of the greatest players....and I don’t think u can dismiss his views just because he has ‘retired’ from the game!!!!,” wrote Jwala, who plays for Delhi franchise in IBL, on her twitter page.
“I don’t know how anyone can talk about him in such manner......without giving him and his stature any respect...it’s absolutely sad!!!!,” she said.
Jwala did not name Saina in her series of tweets on the issue but in an apparent reference to the Hyderaba- di, she said that she should understand Hidayat’s concern.
“No matter how big u have become in sport I think one should try and ustand what ur fellow players views r And work on it!!!,” she tweeted.
“Nobody can take away his achievements....just because he’s RETIRED!!!! He is and will always be one of the greatest badminton player!!!!
“And again it’s not about money....it’s about RESPECT!!!!!”
Hidayat had on Tuesday expressed unhappiness on the treatment he got from organisers during the auction, saying it was his first and last IBL as Indian players were given preference for high price than the foreign players.
“I felt bad when for the first time I saw on TV how much a player was bought for. I felt the IBL didn’t treat the foreign players in the right manner. The price slab that was set was nonsense. Most of the foreign players were sold for their base price while the Indian players were bought for much higher prices.
“I felt the IBL organisers did not take world rankings into consideration. This is my first and last IBL,” Hidayat had said. Saina, though, did not find anything wrong.
“I think world number one (Lee Chong Wei) got the highest price (of USD 1,35,000). I don’t think there is anything unfair about it. He (Hidayat) should accept it that he has retired now so you can’t get the highest base price of course. It’s a negative thing to speak like this.
“Of course, he (Hidayat) is of Hidayat.
“Taufik Hidayat is a great player and has been a world and Olympic champion to boot. His views need to be respected, even if you don’t agree to them,” Pawar told PTI here on Wednesday. Re acting further on the issue, Pawar said he was especially surprised after reading news reports that Saina had praised the Indonesian ace for giving tips to her when she took on her younger Hyderabad city rival and world championship bronze medal winner P V Sindhu during the Hotshots' tie against Awadhe Warriors in Delhi.
“I am surprised with Saina's harsh words especially as it was reported that Taufik had helped her during her match with Sindhu,” Pawar said.
“He (Hidayat) is a great player and being the coach (today) he gave us very good advice. On court he uses his mind very well. His tips were very good for not only me (against Sindhu) but Ajay (Jayaram) also.
He (Ajay) pulled out the match (against world no. 5 Tien Minh Nguyen) that we never thought he could pull out and that too with an easy score,” Saina said after her team defeated Pune Pistons here.