Glamour world not an option for Saina: Gopi

WHEN a sportsperson becomes a world beater, there are many distractions that follow, like a whole lot of money besides the glitz and glamour and the all-attractive urge of substituting practice with business. But, despite being on the threshold of becoming the world's best shuttler, India's first lady of badminton, Saina Nehwal, will have no such 'changed priorities,' says her coach and mentor Pullela Gopichand.

Nehwal recently attained a career-best World No 3 ranking and is on the brink of winning yet another Super Series title having reached the final of the Indonesian Open with a 27-minute 21-9, 21-10 win over Japan's Eriko on Saturday. And his ward will only be spending more time on court from here on, the former All-England winner Gopichand told Sunday MiD DAY in an interview. Excerpts

Saina was expected to break into the Top Five by year-end. So are you surprised that she has reached No 3 so soon?

It is surprising because going by our planning she was to get up there around November. But the Indian Open Grand Prix and the Singapore Super Series she recently won back-to-back has got her there.

World No 3 is something no Indian has achieved. Sania Mirza was flooded with business deals once she broke into the top 30. How difficult will it be for Saina to concentrate on the game from here on?

Saina knows where she is and where she has to reach. The world's top spot is her goal and for that she will have to work harder from now. It's tough to get into the Top Five but it's going to be tougher to stay there. Saina is quite glamourous too but as far as getting into the world of showbiz is concerned, that's not even an option right now. She knows her priorities won't change in her approach. If I know her well, she will only be spending more time on court, training harder.

In a sport like badminton when rankings change quite frequently, how difficult is it now for Saina to ensure she remains where she is?

Rankings are an indication of a player's position, but they are not the end-all. I won't be looking up rankings regularly. For me, more than climbing higher in the rankings, I'd like to see Saina winning more tournaments consistently.

Are there any grey areas in Saina's game that needs to be worked on?

Every aspect of her game needs a bit of tweaking now and then, because her opponents will be analysing every move. Saina should not repeat her mistakes as her rivals will exploit it. From now on, we have to get into a dynamic coaching mode.

With the Commonwealth Games round the corner, do you think the No 3 tag will put Saina under added pressure in front of home fans in New Delhi?
Recently,u00a0 Saina won two tournaments in India. She's getting used to playing and winning at home, something she wasn't doing earlier.

Finally, how far is a World No 1 ranking, and better still, an Olympic medal?

More than the former, I'd look at the latter because her focus has to be on winning tournaments. Rankings will surely follow.