by Saran, Renu
China Masters Super Series
Saina Nehwal lost in quarter-finals against World No. 1 Wang Yihan of China in straight games 8–21, 12–21.
Japan Super Series
Saina Nehwal lost in semi-finals of 2011 Japan Super Series against Juliane Schenk of Germany. This was a straight game of 19–21, 10–21.
Denmark Super Series Premier
Saina Nehwal disappointed the home crowd by losing to 17 year old teen Tai Tzu-Ying of Taiwan in straight games 19–21, 13–21 in the second round.
French Super Series
Saina Nehwal repeated her shocking second round exit in the 2011 as she lost to World No. 16 Li Xuerui of China in straight games 18–21, 29–30.
Hong Kong Super Series
Saina Nehwal lost in the quarter-finals against World No. 7 Tine Baun of Denmark. This was a straight game of 16–21, 15–21.
China Open Super Series Premier
Saina Nehwal was defeated in the very first round of by World No. 8 Bae Youn-joo of South Korea 21–15, 22–24, 15–21.
The Season End
Towards, the end of the season, the unsurpassable badminton player created history by becoming the first Indian singles player to reach the final of BWF Super Series Masters Finals. She reached this position after defeating World No. 5 Tine Baun of Denmark and cruising to 21–17, 21–18 in the semi-finals of the 2011 BWF Super Series Masters Finals in Liuzhou (China). Thereafter, she went on to lose the final 21–18, 13–21, 13–21 against the World No. 1 Chinese Wang Yihan. The contest was interesting and lasted for over an hour.
The 2012 London Olympics
This is one of the most significant years in Saina Nehwal’s life. The ace shuttler has set many records during this year. Stated below are some of the major Sports Career Record of Saina Nehwal in London Olympics 2012 is stated below:
The Start
The renowned Indian badminton player efficiently protected her Europe Start Headline via defeating the renowned Globe Number 2 ranked Wang Shixian of China country 21–19 and 21–16 score on important 18 Goal 2012 season. This was a significant day for Saina.
10th of July, 2012
The ace badminton player beat Ratchanok Inthanon of Thailand. She also won the game by 19–21 score 21–15 score 21–10 score. This helped her win the Thailand prestigious Start Huge Corrt Silver title.
17th July, 2012
The renowned player Saina Nehwal won the Philippines Start Extremely Sequence by defeating world Number 3 ranked renowned Li Xuerui of China country 13–21 and 22–20 as well as 21–19. This game became one of the most popular games in Saina’s career. The game made her achieve third Philippines Start title.
4th August, 2012
This was an important date for Saina. It made her win the brown honor at the London, United Kingdom Olympic Games. China’s Xin, the famous gamer outdated from the go with after damage with the go with important 18–21 and 0–1.
The above-mentioned games are some of the most important Sports Career Record of Saina Nehwal. This made her an unbeatable badminton player the world.
Stage Opponent Result Games Points
Group Stage Jaquet (SUr) Won 2-0 21-9,
21-4
Group Stage L Tan (BEL) Won 2-0 21-4,
21-14
Pre-Quarter- finals Yaojie (NED) Won 2-0 21-14,
21-16
Quarter-finals Tine Baun
(DEN) Won 2-0 21–15,
22-20
Semi-finals Wang Yihan
(CHN) Lost 0-2 13-21,
13-21
BronZe Medal Match Wang Xin
(CHN) Won 0-1 18-21, 0-1
retired
Years of Achievements of Saina Nehwal
in Badminton at a Glance:
2003:
Saina won the gold medal at the Junior Open Badminton tournament, Czechoslovkia.
2004:
Won the silver medal at the event Youth Commonwealth Games Badminton team.
2005:
Nehwal won the gold medal in the Badminton tournament satellite in Asia.
2006:
• Saina reached its first major international win Tour Title Badminton Senior Professional title by winning the
• Philippines Open in 2006
• Won the bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games
• Winner of the Philippines Open Badminton tournament
• Won the Asian Satellite Badminton tournament again
2007:
• Saina won the gold medal at the Championships Indian National Badminton
• Also won the gold medal at National Games of India
2008:
• Achieved the feat of winning her first Grand Prix gold at China Open Taipei
• Became the National Champion of India Badminton again
• Won the gold medal at the Commonwealth Youth games
• Won the gold medal at the World Junior Championships Badminton BWF. Clearly one of the most remarkable achievements in her career Saina Nehwal in badminton shows
• The same year, Saina also earned the distinction of reaching the semi-finals of the Masters-Series Super Final
2009:
• Won her first Badminton Super Series event, winning the gold medal in Indonesia Super Series
• Reached the quarter-finals of the World Badminton Championships BWF
• Saina won a tournament at home the importance of that year, winning the Grand Prix Open India
2010:
The year 2010 was the most successful year for Saina Nehwal in badminton terms of achievements. She won three back to back Super Series events this year.
• Was a semi-finalist at the All-England Super Series, which is one of the badminton tournaments the most prestigious in the world
• Won a bronze medal at Badminton Championships in Asia
• Won the Grand Prix India Open Gold tournament
• Winner at Singapore Super Series
• Winner in Indonesia Super Series
• Nehwal reached the quarter-finals of Championsips BWF World for the second consecutive year
• Saina had a fantastic year filled with the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games, in an intense match watched by thousands of Indian fans. Her gold held in India to reach the second position in the final medal tally, pushing England to the third position
• Saina’s dream run in 2010 continued as she finished the year by winning the Hong Kong Super Series
2011:
• Saina Nehwal won the Swiss Open Grand Prix Gold event
• Finished runners-up at the Indonesia Open Super Series 2011 – the first badminton tournament
2012:
• Saina Nehwal has successfully defended her Swiss Open title by defeating World No. 2 Wang Shixian 18th March 2012, a day after she turned 22
• On June 10, 2012, Saina beat Thailand, Thailand to lift Open Grand Prix Gold title
• On June 17, 2012, Saina Nehwal won the Indonesia Open Super Series, defeating World No. 3 China Li Xuerui
As Saina grew, her love and dedication for the game became stronger. With each year that passed by, Saina grew as a human being and as a badminton player too. Hope this incredibly talented player makes it big in the near future.
Saina Nehwal’s Daily Training
Schedule
It is no secret that Badminton is a very physically demanding game. It demands a great deal of strength and fitness to compete at the top international levels. In one of her interviews to ‘Times Wellness’, Saina Nehwal had talked about how she keeps fit. She had also shared some information about her rigorous training regimen and her diet for strength and endurance. The world champion and Olympic winner believe that physical fitness must be supported by mental strength and well-being.
Pullela Gopichand Nimmogodda Foundation Badminton Academy
Saina Nehwal’s daily fitness schedule when she is training for forthcoming tournaments:
• Wake up - 6:00 a.m.
• Breakfast - Her main meal
• Rushes to Gopichand Academy (just 2 kms away from her house)
• From 7-11 a.m. – Practices badminton skills
• Reaches home and has lunch
• Take a short nap
• Return back to academy at 3:30 p.m.
• On her way to the academy, she has a cup of tea
• Practices for 3 hours till 7 p.m.
• After practice – Has a glass of juice
• Dinner
• Relaxes by listening to Hindi film music or watching TV. She also likes to watch others play
• Practice Yoga Nidra (a typical form of yoga meditation)
Physical Training
Saina has a personal gym at home. The gym is equipped with all the basic fitness equipment. She spends good amount of time on Yoga. She practices Yoga Nidra for relaxation morning and the evening.
Sponsorship and Endorsements
Saina Nehwal feels that it is difficult for a player to succeed without the support of sponsorships. In the year 2002, activities product Yonex provided to attract renowned Indian badminton star, Saina. The leading sports brand Yonex offered to sponsor Saina’s kit. Since, her positions enhanced, the sponsorships improved.
In the year of 2004, renowned BPCL (Bharat Oil Organization Limited) finalized the increasing celebrity. She is also one of the sportsmen reinforced by Olympic Silver Pursuit.
Saina is also sponsored by the Mittal Champions Trust, a foundation, the Indian steel baron Lakshmi Mittal started, to support promising young Indian players.
Brand value of Saina has moved up recently with her success. It has crossed 35-40 lakhs INR. Advertisement world believes that the brand value will reach to 1 crore soon. Saina has signed up a contract with IPL cricket team Deccan Chargers as their brand ambassador. It is said that over 12 multinational companies are waiting to sign the agreement with Saina .
The ace badminton player is associated with endorsements of the following brands:
Telecom Giant Airtel
The telecom giant Airtel Telecom signed on Saina Nehwal as a brand ambassador. At this point of time, Saina’s endorsement value reached the Rs 1 crore per deal mark.
Herbalife, a Health and Nutrition Company
Saina Nehwal endorsing
Herbalife products
Saina Nehwal as the
Ambassador of Top
Ramen Noodles
Saina Nehwal has been a sponsored sportsperson for Herbalife since 2009. Global nutrition company Herbalife renewed their brand endorsement partnership with the badminton champ in 2011.
Top Ramen Noodles, a division of Nissin Foods
Top Ramen re-launched its noodles range on 22nd April, 2011, with Badminton champion Saina Nehwal as the brand ambassador. Saina embodies the spirit of the new Top Ramen range, the noodles for champions.
Fortune Cooking Oil
Saina Nehwal with Pranav
Adnani, MD & Chairman of
Adani Wilmar Ltd.
Adani Wilmar, manufacturer and distributor of edible oils launched its new variant referred to as ‘Fortune Plus’, under the flagship brand Fortune in the year 2010. Fortune Plus was targeted at young and health-conscious Indians. The brand roped in ace badminton player, Saina Nehwal to endorse the product.
The Deccan Chronicle Newspaper
Saina Nehwal was signed for endorsing the leading newspaper. She was considered the best role model to endorse the newspaper.
Saina Nehwal is also known as ‘India’s golden girl’. This is because of the endorsement value she has gained in the past few years. She is also considered as the highest earning non-cricketing athlete.
The year 2012 was referred to as a standout year for this amazing badminton player. She won India’s first Olympic medal in badminton, the Indonesia Super Series, the Denmark Open, the Swiss Open and the Thailand Open, finishing the year ranked third in the world. Experts believe that Saina can play the role of a catalyst that propels badminton towards being India’s next commercial sport. They even feel that her consistent winnings can spearhead the Indian Badminton scenario and the sport can grow around her.
Saina’s blockbuster deal with sports management firm Rhiti Sports and other nine reputed endorsement deals cemented her place as one of India’s most marketable superstars. Undoubtedly, ace shuttler Saina Nehwal is turning out to be a hot property in the celebrity endorsement market after a string of successes in the year 2010. Most notably the gold medal she secured in the concluded Commonwealth Games.
Telecom giant Airtel signed her on as a brand ambassador. This has shot Saina’s endorsement value to 1 crore INR per deal mark. According to H Manjula, Deccan Chargers Sporting Ventures Media Coordinator, Saina is really in demand and many reputed companies wish to associate with her. The Deccan Chargers Sporting Ventures handles Saina’s account.
As per a report by industry analysts, Saina charges around 50 lakh INR per endorsement. After the CWG win, the ace shuttler is now able to command 1 crore INR per deal. The higher rate is believed to be supported by Saina’s hat-trick of wins at the following events in the year 2010:
• Indian Open
• Singapore Open
• Indonesia Open Super Series
Saina agrees that her popularity has enhanced her brand equity. According to the skilled badminton player, her fees have gone up after winning the titles. She is also very happy that there is demand being created for sportspersons other than cricketers.
According to her, the Airtel commercials will be shot after she returns from the Asian Games to be held in China from November 12. The deal with Airtel catapults Saina into the club of leading sports and Bollywood celebrities, including Shahrukh Khan, Sachin Tendulkar, Kareena Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan and A. R. Rahman, who are either associated with the brand or have been in the past.
Gujarat-based Adani Wilmar signed on Saina as its brand ambassador for a one-year period for about 50 lakh INR. The company is also planning to extend the association with her.
In the year 2006, Saina arrived on the global scene the moment she became the first Indian woman to win a 4-star tournament in the Philippines Open. In 2008, she became the first Indian to win the World Junior Badminton Championships and was also the first Indian woman to reach the quarter-finals in the Olympics.
The Sacrifice of Parents
What does it take to make a badminton star like Saina Nehwal? Well, most of her success was attributed by sacrifice and dedication of her parents; Dr Harvir Singh and Ms. Usha Nehwal. If Saina battles it out on the badminton court against the world’s best players, it has been no less a battle for her father and mother to let her do the same.
Rarely, a middle-class family can think of spending half of the monthly income on an eight-year-old child’s training without knowing if the gamble would pay off. However, Dr. Harvir Singh, a scientist with the Directorate of Oilseeds Research Hyderabad, opted to go by the advice of PSS Nani Prasad Rao, the then badminton coach of the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP), who saw immense potential in the girl.
Dr. Harvir Singh met Nani Prasad Rao in December, 1998, at Lal Bahadur Stadium in Hyderabad. Saina accompanied him with a badminton racket on the court. Dr. Singh insisted on admission of his daughter. Rao asked her to play. After watching her game, Rao felt that the girl has the potential. So, he asked Dr. Singh to bring her to him as a summer trainee.
This was the starting of a tough journey for Saina. Saina had to be taken to the stadium everyday early in the morning and the distance from the house was 20 km. It was a challenge for Dr. Singh and Saina. Both had to wake up early so that they could reach the stadium by 6 am. The training session used to last for about two hours.
After attending the training session, Saina had to attend school. Hence, Dr. Singh had to drive his scooter around 50 km daily. He wanted Saina to concentrate on studies apart from attending rigorous practice sessions.
The impact of this tough routine began to show in the fir
st week as Saina would often fall asleep on the back seat. Sensing the danger, Saina’s mother started accompanying them on the two-wheeler. This continued for three months. Ultimately, the family had to arrange a house near the stadium in 1999. This time the distance was about 7 km from the stadium.
But the travelling ordeal did not end here as Saina was asked to attend evening training sessions as well. The extra training session raised the travelling expenditures 150 INR each day. Additionally, the parents had to spend on high quality shuttles, racket, shoes, guttings and a lot more regularly. Dr. Singh spent around 12,000 INR each month to keep his talented daughter going those days.
Was it easy to manage high-cost training?
Dr. Harvir Nehwal
talking to the media
Dr. Singh in an interview had revealed that he had to sacrifice his savings to encourage Saina pursue her passion.
“I started withdrawing money from my provident fund. Sometimes, it was 30,000 INR and other times it was nearly 1 lakh INR. It happened more than five times when I had to shell out money from my PF savings due to Saina’s various requirements,” mentioned Dr. Harvir Singh in an interview.
He stated that the tight-rope walk continued till 2002 until Yonex Sunrise sports offered to sponsor Saina’s kit. The journey became easier with this sponsorship. She also got BPCL support late in the year 2004. Ultimately, she was spotted by Mittal Sports Trust in December, 2005.
“But I had never disclosed to Saina my financial difficulties fearing that she might get disturbed knowing that her father was left with no savings for the future,” mentioned Dr. Harvir Singh.
So, did Saina get any help from the sports authorities?
According to Dr. Singh, till the year 2003, Saina got 600 INR per month from the Sports Authority of India (SAI). The amount was raised to 2,500 INR in June, 2003. However, the amount didn’t help much. It was still very tough to manage expenses.
Apart from the training cost, Dr. Singh had to manage hefty telephone bills that put extra financial burden on the family when Saina started touring foreign countries for events.
