Teenager Nehwal tells MiD DAY: The Chinese have every reason to be scared of me now and they better be.
Teenager Nehwal tells MiD DAY: "The Chinese have every reason to be scared of me now and they better be."
Even though badminton originated in India, the game, especially in the women's category, has always been dominated by Chinese shuttlers. Over the last two decades, only two non-Chinese shuttlers Susi Susanti of Indonesia and Camilla Martin of Denmark have been able to withstand the Chinese onslaught.
Whenever 19-year-old Saina Nehwal was on the verge of glory, including the Olympics quarter-final, her stupendous run was halted by either a Chinese or a girl of Chinese origin, who had changed her nationality.
So when the Indian ace bagged the Indonesian Grand Prix title with a 12-21, 21-18, 21-9 victory over China's World No three Wang Lin to become the first Indian to win a Super Series event (a tournament where top 28 women along with four qualifiers compete), she was happier to break her Chinese jinx than winning the title.
Just a day before beating Wang in 49 minutes, Saina had overcome Lu Lan, another stalwart from China, in the semi-finals.
Big impact "Winning a Super Series is obviously a great thing for my career. As a player, you always want to win an event of such magnitude," Saina told MiD DAY from Jakarta. "But beating two Chinese, that too one after another, is a dream come true. But if you ask me what is more special to me, it will obviously be beating two Chinese in a row."
From the manner in which Wang stuttered after Saina started her miraculous comeback yesterday, it appeared as if the Chinese are now scared of the Indian sensation. And Saina, who will now be considered a serious contender for the World Championship to be played in her hometown in August, also sounded a warning to her opponents. "Now, I am really confident about facing them. If I can beat two Chinese on the trot, then I can even beat three-four Chinese in a row, if the need arises. In the World Championships or in the Olympics, you may have to face a lot of Chinese opponents. It's not that I have got a complete hang of them. I still have to work a lot on my game but now I am confident of taking them on any time.
"I am able to catch them properly. I know exactly how to catch them. That is an important part to be successful on the circuit. I have had enough of losing to them. I always try hard but always lose in three games against the Chinese. So now is the time to rejoice. They have every reason to be scared of Saina Nehwal and they better be."
