Every National title I won was covered by the magazine

1998 Commonwealth Games silver medallist

2012 Olympics bronze medallist Igood started playing when I was eight years old and I played for a

1■ years continuously. After retirement, I just feel badminton was my calling; it was my safe space. In highpressure situations when I was on court, I was calm, so I feel it was my space to be in. It’s given me a lot — of course in terms of achievements but more so, in terms of who I am today.

Growing up, Steffi Graf was my idol and I remember one particular Sportstar poster of Steffi Graf was in my room.

More than the posters, it was the only sports magazine that you could go to and it was so extensive that you could get a piece of every sport. Every Nationals that I won, starting in 19■9, it was documented in Sportstar.

Sportstar kind of lived through with me in my journey during the 16 or 17 titles that I won. Even when I won the silver medal at the World Junior Championship, they did a very, very nice feature. At a time when not too many people were covering, it was special. Now when you look back, it was a World Championship and it was India’s first medal (at the Worlds) and the magazine realised it and did justice to me.