BADMINTON: Star player Saina Nehwal releases autobiography to cap ‘best year’

Star badminton player Saina Nehwal of India. Athit Perawongmetha/Getty Images for SSC

“I think this has been my best year so far. I won four tournaments to add to the Olympic medal, which I won in London,” said Saina, who released her autobiography “Playing to Win” in the capital.

This year, the World No.3 won the Indonesia Open Super Series Premier, Denmark Open Super Series Premier, Swiss Open Grand Prix Gold, and the Thailand Open Grand Prix Gold to add to the bronze medal she won at the London Olympics in August.

Cricketer Yuvraj Singh released the book.

“I am thankful to Yuvraj for coming here and releasing my book today. This book is about my journey since I was nine, till now. It is about the life of a disciplined sportsperson, about how I got here and what all sacrifices me and my parents had to make, how I practiced eight hours a day to get where I am today,” the 22−year−old said.

Saina also revealed that in the coming years she would like to come up with her own badminton academies.

“I would like to give something back to the game. The Haryana and Karnataka governments have already approached me regarding having coaching academies. I don’t think we need another one in my home state as Andhra Pradesh already has a world class academy.”

Asked whether she would compete in the India Open Grand Prix Gold in Lucknow in December, she said she was not sure, and it wasn’t her priority either.

“I am not sure at the moment. It depends whether I am fit or not. My full concentration is on the year ending Super Series Finals to be held in China where I lost the final last year,” said Saina, who won the Lucknow event in 2009 and 2010.

Saina also revealed that she had viral before the Olympic Games and was on antibiotics during the event where she earned India’s first medal in badminton.

“A lot of people may not know this but one week before the Olympics I had fever and I was contemplating whether I should play the event or not. For one week I hardly practiced and I was on antibiotics during the Games which probably lowered my stamina. But it was probably god’s wish that I win the medal,” said Saina, who has won 40 of her 49 matches this year.

On current form she said, “I am getting better. I am playing without taping my knee or the ankle these days and I am moving well.”