Saina says Bring it on

Having seen a medal being whisked from under her nose in Beijing four years ago, a far more mature Saina is aware of what it takes to be there.

By Avishek Roy
Hyderabad (Mail Today): THE magnitude of the job is apparent. The hopes of an Olympic medal from Saina Nehwal have only soared since her back-to-back title wins in Thailand and Indonesia last month.

The player herself has been measured in her celebrations. London is where her focus is now. Having seen a medal being whisked from under her nose in Beijing four years ago, a far more mature Saina is aware of what it takes to be there.

Not surprisingly, she has chosen to shut herself within an orbit of strenuous training, cutting down on media interactions and promotional functions.

At the Pullela Gopichand Badminton academy, far from the din of the city, Saina goes through the rigours of intense training that begins at 7.30am in the morning and continues till dusk (7.30 pm) with intermittent breaks in between.

Saina knows she has found a way to crack the Chinese code.

She beat Wang Shixian and Li Xuerui in Indonesia. The victory against Li, who has been in terrific form this year, was indeed remarkable, but the Indian ace now expects them to return stronger. “The top rung Chinese players would come better prepared to face me,” Saina told MAIL TODAY. “I wanted to beat the top Chinese players before the Olympics. They are the best players in the world and I am sure they will be doing something to get their confidence back against the top players."

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So it will not be easy.

“I have never found them scared of any opponent. But yes, they will have a bit to worry since I played a long and close match. They will think ‘we really want to beat her’. So this time it will be a little tougher than the last time,” she felt.

Saina said more than the grind of training, it will be important for her to stay focused and prepare well during the Olympics. “Training will be intense since we are preparing for the Olympics. But it is more important how you prepare during the tournament. Sometimes you lose because you are scared or fear facing a particular opponent. So you need to have the confidence. A lot is expected from me and I will be the third or fourth seed, so a lot of pressure will be there. I just hope I stay calm.” 

Saina played at the Wembley Indoor arena, the venue for badminton at the Olympics, during the world championships last year when she lost in the quarters.

A semi-final spot in her maiden Olympics appearance was well within Saina’s grasp, before it slipped. Her slayer Indonesian Maria Kristin Yulianti, who went on to win the bronze, had all but given up after being down 5-11 in the decider before Saina faltered. “I just can’t forget that defeat. It will always stay with me. I had a chance of a medal in my first Olympics itself. That did not happen.” she said.

An Olympic gold, though, remained Saina’s cherished dream. “When I was nine, my mom told me that you will be an Olympian. I had started playing badminton then and I told her ‘don’t joke’. She said it will happen. I wanted to compete and win at the Olympics since then. I really surprised myself when I made it (to Beijing) at the age of 18.” The dream is still alive and Saina knows it is time to realise it in London.