Saina Nehwal’s three wise men

MID DAY meets the men who helped badminton star Saina Nehwal emerge as a strong force

Saina Nehwal's three wise men

MID DAY meets the men who helped badminton star Saina Nehwal emerge as a strong force

There is no shred of doubt that Saina Nehwal has caught the imagination of not just India but the entire badminton fraternity with huge strides in the last 12 months.

Voted as the Most Improved Player by the Badminton World Federation this year, Saina, 19, lost a chance of an Olympic medal at Beijing by a whisker. But then, by winning the World Series event at Indonesia recently, she has not only jumped to being World No 6 but has also gained a reputation when pitted against any top player in the world.

But when did this odyssey start and what went into making her a true champion? Well, Saina started off as a seven-year-old and has trained under three coaches so far.

Early years
Nani Prasad was the first one, when Saina's parents took her to Shastri Stadium. "She was a bit plump but looked very strong. I asked her if she wanted to play casual badminton. "No," she said. "I want to become a champion."

She picked up the racquet correctly and at that age was hitting tosses baseline to baseline. That was her strength. I told her father then and there that one day she will rule the badminton world," recalls Nani.

Nani has coached almost 400 children in the last 12 years but was taken aback by the talent of Saina.

"She won local titles within a year and in the second year she won age-group state title in juniors. She is very flexible and works very hard. Right from Day One when I started off with her, she never said no to any amount of hard work," he adds.

Badminton's first Dronacharya Award recipient Mohammad Arif was her next coach. "She was with me for four years and what I noticed first was her ability to accept any amount of training. I could see a world-beater in her. Her strides in the game have been enormous. At 14, she became the youngest Indian to play in Uber Cup. At 16, she had won the National Championship," Arif says.

"She always spoke her mind and is always aggressive on court which is a great quality. If you ask me, her best quality is her anticipation and positioning on court after each stroke. Her weak point lack of endurance towards the end of a match. And yes, some more speed on court will work wonders."

Key to success
Saina's hard work has really paid off. As Arif's motto goes "the key to success is work, work and more hard work".

Pullela Gopichand, who took over when Saina was about 15, says her indomitable spirit is her greatest asset.
"She really works very hard, always game for any amount of workload. But it is her never-say-die attitude that stands out.

"She is a fighter all the way. See how she came out of chicken pox. She was determined to play here and she is almost near top form even after being laid off for seven days. We work out a schedule and whether I am there or not, I know she will finish it."

It is true that all three coaches Nani, Arif and Gopi have contributed equally in their own way in the making of a true gem for Indian badminton.