Had I started today, I’d have been an Olympian at 14: Saina

Saina Nehwal seems all poised to take a break from her busy life, as she wishes to travel the world with her parents. In town for an event, the ace shuttler, who became the first Indian badminton player to win an Olympic medal (bronze) in 2012, talks about why she’s been out of action of late, among other things.
‘I WANT TO TAKE MY PARENTS AROUND THE WORLD’
The Olympian hasn’t been performing in competitive tournaments since Singapore Open in 2023. On why she’s been off the circuit, Saina says, “I have given everything to sport for 25 years, I want to enjoy the next one or two years and take my parents on international trips."
Saina shares, “Jo log 25 saal pe job start karte hain, woh maine 9 saal ki umar se kiya hai. My parents have made a lot of sacrifices for me. My husband, (Parupalli) Kashyap (badminton player) is coaching currently, so I don’t see why both of us should be doing the same thing.” Elaborating, she said, "My father is a big hockey fan and my mother loves sports. She always believed that I could win a medal at the Olympics. This was at a time when nobody thought we could win against the Chinese players, who were one of our toughest opponents."
‘TODAY’S PLAYERS SEEM TO BE DISTRACTED BY SOCIAL MEDIA’
During the interaction, the 34-year-old also spoke about the current generation of athletes and their performances at big-ticket events. When asked how India can win more medals in badminton at international events, Saina shares, “Sometimes you know you have a bunch of players who do well. They (the current lot of badminton players) are not making consistent progress, but they’re still there. Obviously, they’re the powerhouse. The likes of Lakshya Sen, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty, and HS Prannoy, are doing well, but we need better coaches.”
Saina adds, “If you have seen me and (PV) Sindhu playing, we have those hard smashes. We were fast movers and had a never-say-die attitude. I feel aajkal ke bacche thode soft ho gaye hain. And this is happening not just in India; I think phone (and social media) are major distractions. Agar aap ek sportsperson ban na chahte ho, you must limit phone usage; discipline is very important.”
India’s Paris Olympics report card was quite disappointing. Commenting on this, Saina says, “Everyone gave their best at the Olympics. We can’t say that one person played better than the other. At an international platform like the Olympics, factors like pressure play an important role too. It’s not like, aap gaye aur jeet gaye. It’s your dream, so there is a lot of added pressure, besides, all eyes will be on you and your performance. I had expected a lot from Satwik-Chirag (Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty) since they were on a winning spree. It was sad to see them lose. Aap sochiye unki mental condition kitni buri hogi because they missed on such an important medal.”
If not a shuttler, what else did Saina want to become growing up? "I didn’t want to become anything other than a sportsperson. The feeling you get when you stand on the podium is akin to serving the nation. It’s nice to be able to contribute to putting the country on the world map."
‘PARINEETI WAS QUITE ON POINT IN THE BIOPIC'
The 2021 biopic, Saina, saw Parineeti Chopra essay her role. What was her involvement in the film, especially for Parineeti’s prep? Saina says, “Parineeti had a coach in Thane, Shrikant Vad. She didn’t need me. When I saw the movie, Parineeti was excellent, and of course, it’s a skill game. It’s tough to pick up the skill for a film in a short duration; mujhe bhi 4-5 saal lag gaye the. Parineeti used to watch my videos, and she was quite on point in portraying me on screen. I have seen youngsters who watch the film to seek inspiration and that makes me happy because I want to help badminton grow in India in whichever way I can."