On the court she has always been a formidable opponent, powerful smashes and the lightening quick feet are unmissable. When she quickly walks into a plush lounge, soon realising that her mother has been left behind, Saina Nehwal’s body language speaks volumes about the athlete one has been reading about and the urgency in her voice denotes how caring a daughter she is. “Mummy kidhar hai! Please, mummy ko andar leke aaiye, who bahar hee reh jaayegi,” she requests the managers, knowing the fact that the lounge is cordoned off by the security, restricting the gush of fans and the paparazzi desperate to catch a glimpse of the decorated athlete. Amidst the chaos in the lobby, the mother is escorted in the VIP lounge safely and the relief on Saina’s face is obvious.
We are at inauguration of Badminton Pros at Monte South in South Mumbai’s Byculla. Nehwal is glad about the state-of-the-art facility for badminton enthusiasts that she hopes will inspire many to take up the sport. “When I was growing up, there was no one I could to look up to. There was no Kapil Dev or Sunil Gavaskar of the badminton one could look at for a reference. I got to know Prakash Padukone sir and his achievements much later hala ki Mummy mujhe battai rehti thi Padukone sir ki achievements ke baare mein,” confesses Saina, as she locks eyes across the room with her mother, ensuring that she is fine. The mother gives the nod of approval.
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“Nobody looked beyond cricket when I started playing. Today, different sports are encouraged and you have different leagues as well as tournaments. Sponsorships are coming in and the government schemes are helping in a big way. Also, there are foundations such as Olympic Gold Quest, GoSports Foundation and Virat Kohli Foundation to help young ones to take up sports seriously. Having said that, if we don’t get enough backing from the right infrastructure and academies, then the interest will fade,” she adds.
A cursory look at Nehwal’s Instagram page tells you how she is acing the social media game with ease. Her 2.2 million followers lap up Saina’s globe-trotting, head-to-toe branded avatar. “As a player, I have travelled the world, but have not seen the world. Because as an athlete, you just keep shuttling from hotel to stadium, back and forth, you hardly get anytime to see the places you visit. But now I can afford the luxury of time and travel. I post my travel experiences on Instagram. Sometimes people like what they see, sometimes they don’t. It’s just a time pass thing for me. I don’t take it seriously,” she laughs.
Players travelling with their headphones on is a common sight. Music and movies are a great resort typically to unwind or for that matter to get inspired. Does Saina have a playlist to recommend, one wonders. “I watch Bollywood movies, but I am not a huge fan. I am not much into music either. Kashyap (husband) sings well though. I think for most sports people, the drive comes from within. They don’t need any outside agencies such as films to get inspired really. If you ask me, I would say Chak De India went to a great extent to inspire many. Oh yes, I watch Kapil Sharma Show a lot, I can watch the show on loop,” she confesses.
Excellence comes with the desire to excel which in turn is a combination of discipline, dedication and determination. Saina swears by that concoction without letting go of the sportsmanship in sports.
“I must go on the court to win. Khel toh koi bhi lega, but there has to be this burning desire to give your best shot, every single time. And with that attitude you can cultivate things such as perseverance, discipline and you ability to bounce back from injuries too. Hard work is the key, there’s no short cut to success no matter what you peruse in life. Mummy used to say tumhe Olympic Champion banana hai and I used to laugh at her. I would wonder how is that even possible when China and Japan would not allow us a foot in the door. But ultimately, what matters is your discipline and perseverance to overcome challenges,” she signs off.
Saina’s Olympics 2024 predictions:
India’s prospect looks brighter in major events in the forthcoming Olympics.
Men’s single will be a little tough as the competition is stiff. Lakshya Sen and HS Prannoy are doing well.
PV Sindhu looks good too even if she has her shares of ups and down. She is always ready for the big games!
Chirag and Satvik look really promising as they have been consistently securing the Gold in most of their tournaments.
Apart from badminton I am bullish on wrestling, weight-lifting and the other events. Neeraj Chopra too has a good chance once again.
