Whenananxiousdadsoughtgod’shelp

“Bhagwan, kisi tarah meri beti ko jitadey! (God, please help my daughter win!),” was Saina Nehwal’s father, Harvir Singh’s plea after she had lost the first game 18-21 to China’s Xin Wang during their bronze medal play-off in London on Friday.

Harvir, who was on the verge of tears at that point, was following the action in the vicinity of a guest house next to his office at the Directorate of Oilseeds Research, Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University.

The last couple of days have been an emotional roller coaster for Harvir, especially since Saina lost the semifinal match to Yihan Wang. “I spoke to her after the match and told her not to worry and focus on the bronze medal match,” said Harvir, who couldn’t eat or sleep out of disappointment on Friday night. Now that his daughter has won the bronze, he will celebrate by “eating” to his stomach’s content and “catching up on sleep.”

“There will be plenty of time to celebrate when my daughter returns from London.”

Harvir shuddered to imagine how it would be if Saina had lost Saturday’s match. “I know how much of a setback it would have been if Saina had lost this match,” Harvir said. “In the days leading upto the Olympics, she put in extra effort, even training at nights at the Gopichand Academy. If she hadn’t won, all her hard work over the last six months would have gone to waste,” he added, relief and happiness fighting for dominance on his face.

“I expected a gold or a silver from her, but I’m more than happy that she won bronze. I know better than most people how much she had to sacrifice to pursue badminton.”

In 1999, Harvir had taken nine-year-old Saina to the Lord Venkateswara Temple in Tirupati to seek blessings for her. He says he will undertake the pilgrimage with Saina upon her return to India.

In the lead-up to the Games, Saina’s stock had risen like never before. She had just completed a double on the Asian circuit, winning titles in Singapore and Indonesia in resplendent fashion. Small wonder then, that different brands lined up to grab a slice of the pie. “She was flooded with requests for photo-shoots which would have lasted anywhere between two and six hours. But she did not entertain them and instead, maintained her focus on the Olympics,” her father said.