WONDER WOMEN

Of the total Indian squad in Rio, 45 per cent are women and if one were to assess the medal hopefuls, the top names would be those of Sania Mirza ( tennis) and Saina Nehwal ( badminton). Belonging to contrasting backgrounds, the two women have truly made their sport popular single- handedly. If Saina draws her strength and perseverance from her mother Usha’s strict disciplinarian upbringing — the Hyderabadi remembers how every match lost at the junior level was met with a tight slap on her face by her mother — Sania dwells on her strong family support and her fiery attitude. Says Sania, who along with Rohan Bopanna, is expected to bring laurels in the mixed doubles, “This will be my third Olympics. Every time we enter a tournament, we enter to win. I have a legitimate shot at winning a medal, but then so do the others in the draw.”

For Saina, it is slowly getting to a stage where she is in more control of her game and growing at every step. The London Olympic bronze medallist knows she has the ability to go one better in Rio. “When I was a kid, my mother once told me that she wanted me to win an Olympic medal. I was surprised as the thought had not crossed my mind till then. Today, I have already won one medal and I am going to compete for another,” says Saina.

When I was a kid, my mother once told me that she wanted me to win an Olympic medal. I was surprised as the thought had not crossed my mind till then. Today, I have already won one medal and I am going to compete for another

— SANIA MIRZA