by Saran, Renu
Nehwal doesn’t really make any special effort to visit places of worship or try to spend personal time with God through mediation or chanting mantras. She also refrains from wearing lucky charms to get somewhere.
Saina Nehwal with her mother offering
prayers to
Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala
So, how does this young badminton champion keep calm and regain strength in the times of adversity? After all, she is a sport star and all she does is highlighted in the media, people talk about her and each action of hers become the national news. How does she cope with the pressure, expectations, criticism, failure and the stress?
Saina tries to win through her adversities via exercising. She works out to burn off her anxieties and worries. According to Saina, hard work and devotion to one’s profession are the greatest virtues. This is the philosophy she lives by.
Nehwal admits that her parents are not religious or ritualistic. This is also the reason she is not much into traditional rituals and spiritual acts when it comes to getting connected with the Almighty.
So, how can one get connected to God without chanting mantras and doing regular pujas?
Saina Nehwal knows the answer. She is very clear about it. According to her, not bearing any ill-will against anyone is the biggest virtue in life. This is what her parents taught her. Saina follows this religiously.
Saina is proud of the fact that both her parents have been state-level badminton champions. Her entire family has lived the sport. Nehwal cannot imagine a middle-class family spending half their monthly income on their eight-year-old daughter’s training. And that too, without being sure if the gamble would pay off. But Saina’s parents did this.
The Almighty helped! She belives that God gave them the strong will to do it all.
Saina remember her parent’s struggle to make her reach to the top that started early when she was just eight years old. She had to wake early and head to the stadium which was 20 km away. After two hours of practice, her father would drop her to school on his way to work.
Many a times, she would often fall asleep on these journeys, which prompted her mother to accompany them for the next three months. The major chunk of these 18 years of her life has gone into practising and playing. She feels exercising is the simplest way to end all worries and set her mind at rest. It also helps her unwind and refreshes her spirits enough for the following day.
The young badminton champion admits that many a time, it looks like whatever she has achieved, all at the age of 18, has been the fruit of God’s love for her. The girl also feels that she is God’s chosen one. She always focuses on setting goals and this is what she feels she should be doing in order to keep winning games.
This girl feels that she has ironed out a number of physical flaws in the past and this is time to work on her mental make-up, especially when it comes to the international circuit. She feels that even after gaining huge leads, she is sometimes unable to hang on to them and finish the job.
Saina is thankful to the Almighty for whatever he has showered on her. The badminton champion is proud of the fact that she is the first Indian woman to reach the singles quarter-finals at the Olympics. However, she is not satisfied with this rank. Her focus at oresent is to win the much coveted Olympic gold. She feels that her dedication to sports and the hard work she puts in makes her worthy of Olympic Gold and she will definitely win it one day.
Her Visit to Lord Venkateswara Swamy Temple
Saina’s visit to the Lord Venkateswara
Swamy Temple with her parents
The young and immensely talented badminton player was finally seen and captured by the media offering special prayers at Lord Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Tirumala, Tirupati on Sep 16, 2012.
The badminton player arrived at the holy site of the Lord Balaji during VIP break period. After darshan, she was presented Srivari prasadams and sacred silk cloth by TTD officials at Ranganayakula Mandapam inside the temple complex.
Saina had a word with the reporters confirming her never ending love for badminton and that she would continue to play badminton no matter what. The player also offered prayers at Vayulingeswara Temple and participated in Rahu-Ketu puja at Srikalahasti Temple, about 40 km from Tirupati.
Nehwal also mentioned that her victory at the London Olympics could not have been possible without the blessings of Lord Venkateswara. Her visit to the site is a gesture to offer her thanks giving obeisance to the Lord.
Famous Quotes by Saina Nehwal
and Eminent Badminton Players
1. “I am working hard and performances are coming. Now, that I am number 2, I will definitely reach number 1.”
– Saina Nehwal
2. “And I thought this time: ‘no more leading and losing – just win the game – that’s it’.”
– Saina Nehwal
3. “A champion has to be disciplined by practicing regularly in the right manner, respect coaches and most importantly ought to have self-belief.”
– Saina Nehwal
4. “Badminton is like ballet dancing. It requires a lot of control, strength, mind play and measured movement.”
– Film star Aamir Khan
(also, a good badminton player)
5. “Badminton is a great way to de-stress and chill out after a hard day’s work.”
– Film star Aamir Khan
(also, a good badminton player)
6. “When I am playing badminton there are only two people in the world, myself and my opponent.”
– Erland Kops, former badminton
champion from Denmark
7. “I was mesmerized. Until then my game was mostly defensive but after I saw him play, I became more of an attacking player.”
– Prakash Padukone talking about Indonesian
badminton legend Rudy Hartono
8. “I would say that it is the explosiveness that I possess in my game. Like a crouching tiger waiting to pounce on it preys.”
– World No.1 Lee Chong Wei
9. “I played my 100 percent today. This is the biggest team competition in the world. I’m determined to do my best to defend the Cup.”
– Zhang Ning
10. “I think it’s a match at top level, and both of us have displayed our quality.”
– Xie Xingfang
11. “I’m confident to win, I always have the confidence whenever I go into a tournament.”
– Zhang Ning
12. “One of the most important qualities required for success at the Olympics is the unflinching confidence in one’s own ability. Only those who are mentally very strong emerge victorious.”
– Prakash Padukone
13. “Indian players have done well in the last couple of years but they need to be more consistent with the results. They need to stabilise more. They are young and will take sometime to adjust to the top level.”
– Pullela Gopichand
14. “I’ve always trained hard – perhaps too hard, too – but it’s been worth it. Badminton has given me incredibly much. I have put it this way: Badminton is life and life is badminton.”
– Peter Rasmussen, a Danish badminton player
15. “In badminton, they use a lot from the wrist. But I use a lot from the shoulder.”
– Li Na, Chinese professional tennis player
16. “When badminton was accepted into the Barcelona Olympic Games it showed that there was an acceptance of my sport internationally.”
– Rhonda Cator, retired female badminton player from Australia
17. “I hope the BWF (Badminton World Federation) will seriously do something about the Olympic qualifying format or risk getting badminton dropped from the Games.”
– Taufik Hidayat, Indonesian badminton player
18. “Coming in as a veteran, I’d like to finish with a gold medal.”
– Howard Bach, Vietnamese – American
male badminton player
19. “The art of badminton is to deceive.”<
br />
– Sir George Thomas, Quoted in
The Guinness Book of Badminton (1983)
20. “I’ve always been real excited for them to be in badminton. I’m hoping that they can play this game and develop skills like we used to have when we were younger. I feel that they have a good shot at getting into and winning the junior championships and maybe someday even representing the U.S. in the Olympic Games.”
– Gary Grant, retired American
professional basketball player
21. “Badminton is a fast game and the review system is not going to be easy. We would need to see if it works out or not. Some decisions go in favour of us, some don’t, and I hope the review system helps us.”
– Saina Nehwal
22. “The popularity of badminton is surging and it’s important for any sport to attract the youth and masses.”
– Saina Nehwal
23. “It’s great for the sport, Badminton is all about the hype, pressure and atmosphere, if you can’t perform in that situation then Badminton is not for you as a competitor, so the more the merrier.”
– Jonathan Paget, badminton player from New Zealand
24. “We’ve gotten off to a slow start, but it’s been good. We have learned to improvise, like with the badminton net.”
– Amy Lambert
25. “In Japan, for example, 10 million people play badminton. Annually, one might need 12 shuttles per person.”
– Herman Moens
26. “We are thrilled to have Wilson participate in this prestigious event. The Boston Open is recognized in badminton for its top player draw and high quality competition, and represents a great opportunity for Wilson to expand its reach in the sport.”
– Arthur Schwartz
27. “The PBSI (Indonesian Badminton Association) have to work harder to widen the pool and find quality players. The present indifferent culture has to change.”
– Taufik Hidayat
28. “The Chinese players are really very good. They are top players, but it is not that they are invincible. The players who perform well on a given day win the matches.”
– Shuttler P. V. Sindhu
Saina and Her Lucky Courts
As a dedicated badminton player, Siana Nehwal loves the courts she plays in. Each court has etched memories in her heart. But is there a court that is close to Saina’s heart? Is she biased towards a specific court and considers it a lucky mascot for her? Well, like any player, Saina has her favourites too.
Saina Nehwal at
Indonesian Courther
The hardcore badminton player feels that the Indonesian courts are lucky for her. She is in love with Indonesia. Many a times, she has agreed that it is very tough to beat the Chinese. Regardless of whether it is the London Olympics or any other major championshop, Saina feels that beating Chinese players can be nerve breaking and she needs a lot more than dedication to the sport to do that.
After defeating the Chinese World No. 4 Shixian Wang in the quarter-finals and her World No. 3 compatriot Li Xuerui to win the Indonesia Open Super Series Premier in the year 2010, Saina admitted that the Indonesian courts have been really lucky for her even when it comes to beating the invincible Chinese players.
Her prepaprations are always tough and after wining a game, Saina’s major focus is always on how to win the forthcoming championships. She doesn’t have the time to rejoice her victory.
Even after returning home from Jakarta to a warm welcome from her family, friends and well-wishers couldn’t let her rest. She knew it would be really tough for her at the London Games. Also, her major emphasis is always on being super fit for each game and stay injury free before the Olympics. The champion believes that it is crucial to be mentally in good shape for each game that she plays.
Saina Nehwal is congratulated by
her coach Atik Jauhari after winning
the women’s finals of the Djarum
Indonesia Open Super Series 2010
badminton tournament in Jakarta
on June 27, 2010.
Talking about her love for Indonesia, Saina Nehwal has always admitted that she feels like a champion the moment she enter Indonesian courts. The player is not actually aware of the reason behind her confidence for Indonesian courts. However, she knows that atmosphere there is nice. The fact that right from the first day there are about 7,000 spectators cheering for her even if I am playing Indonesian player enthrals her. Their support means a lot for her as a devoted player.
The crowd support is amazing and atmosphere is fervent in Indonesia. The player admits that she really enjoys at the Indonesian courts. Jakarta is her favourite place as she had won many tournaments there. No wonder, she feels that the courts are lucky for her.
The courts at Indonesia are capable of developing a feeling of positivity around her. She feels enthusiastic about each game played and the support of people there makes her feel special.
Future Plans of Saina Nehwal
Everyone has future plans. Being a sports star doesn’t make a difference. Saina Nehwal hopes to climb higher in the rankings. Saina Nehwal approaches life and sport in a very business-like fashion. She walks really fast and talks to the point and trains like a maniac. Now, when asked about life outside the sport, Saina doesn’t have any. In fact, she has to think and re-think about the question to find out an answer and finally, the answer is that she has none. She just looks forward to new kinds of training and its variations.
None of her tournaments and championships are celebrated in a grand way. In fact, soon after winning the bronze at the London Olympics, Saina allowed herself the rarest of rare luxuries in her life – she took a break. Siana relished laddoos and parathas. The Olympic winner also functions to celebrate her medal. She also celebrated the way she never had before.
So, how did the celebrations go? Well, the badminton star attended many functions celebrated her victory primarily her country’s victory. Since, it was her first ever badminton medal for the nation country, her motive was to enjoy it with them. Saina in one of her exclusive interviews after winning the French Open quarter-finals said that she realises without the support of her family, coaches and fans, things wouldn’t have been possible.
“Without them egging me on I wouldn’t have been so successful,” said ace badminton champion.
After winning the Denmark Open, (the first tournament after the break), Saina showed that being away from the sport for sometime allowed her to recharge her batteries. According to Saina, it is very important to take a break.
Since, the game has increased its pace, players face a tough time. Their body demands rest especially legs. Saina admits that out schedules are tough and the stars require playing around 16-17 tournaments in a year. One, also needs to take out time for training. This is important to merge back strongly in the upcoming tournament. The players get really tired after the tournament and their legs and hands get taped. This is not easy.
For Saina, the French Open has not been an easy ride. After beating out her 17-year-old Thai opponent Ratchanok Intanon 22-20, 22-20 in two tough games, she managed to pull out matches. It was quite tough for her. But the matches are like that. She needs to be mentally tough. This is what makes her a true Indian star.
But what are the future plans for Saina Nehwal?
Saina has nothing in mind at present except to win. She wants to give her best to everything. Her main aim is to win. Each player is interested in winning. However, it all boils down to mental strength. Saina has won big matches with almost all top players.
Saina believes that rankings usually don’t mean a lot to top players. The only benefit a player gets via winning a ranking is a positive affirmation. After winning the world number three title and then slipping down to number four didn’t dampen this badminton star’s spirits. She soon managed to gain her third rank which was a huge relief for her fans and admirers. But maintaining a specific rank and going higher is tougher but Saina focuses on performing well and climbing h
igher in the rankings now. Also, each time a rank goes higher and a medal is added to the glory of a badminton player, the expectation becomes higher. The players are under constant pressure. But then, it is definitely a part of the stardom and victory. Training harder and keep winning is definitely a part of Siana’s future plans.
Playing under pressure is a part of every sports star’s life. More successful a player is, greater the expectations and pressure. But Saina cannot take pressure. She believes that playing under pressure is not her style. She likes to think that she plays well and win tournaments. Pressure is definitely there but she does not allow it overpower her life. She has own way to deal with pressure and does not let it affect her game or mindset.
One of her future plans is definitely to keep winning over the Chinese girls. Saina truly believes that she is one of the girls trying to beat the Chinese.
The badminton star agrees that it is a difficult game for everyone except China. Hence, it is her aim to try the best she can and try to beat them all.
Winning is the biggest motivating factor which keeps me going, says 2012 London Olympics bronze medallist and ace shuttler Saina Nehwal.
The Autobiography – Was it a Future Plan?
Saina recently get released her autobiography. This wasn’t a part of her future plan. It just happened. According to Saina, it is something that made her feel special. Since, most people think of penning an autobiography at the prime age of their life, she got this privilege at the tender age of 22.
According to her, this is something no one expects at least at her age. She feels that her attempt would inspire many youngsters take up sports and dream big like her.
Siana’s life is completely based on her love and passion for badminton. This is definitely the reason she constantly dreamt of winning titles. With each title, Saina sets new goals and kept working hard.
