HYDERABAD: Has the world seen the final of shuttler Saina Nehwal in motion? It seems so. “The knee will not be superb. I’ve arthritis. My cartilage has gone to a nasty state. It is vitally tough to push for eight-nine hours,” Saina mentioned on the ‘Home of Glory’ podcast produced by former Olympian shooter Gagan Narang and hosted by Timesofindia.com on Monday.
Saina had first hinted at retirement on June 6, 2023 when she misplaced to Ratchanok Intanon within the first spherical of Singapore Open.It was a difficult knee and she or he advised TOI final yr that it wanted to heal utterly for her to compete once more. On Monday got here one other admission that arthritis has taken a toll on her physique and her recreation. By the way, Saina and Gagan each gained bronze medals on the London Olympics in 2012.
The 34-year-old pathbreaker continues to coach together with her husband Parupalli Kashyap, however this yr might properly be her final on the courts.
Deciding when to finish one’s profession is a significant dilemma for all sportspersons and Saina is not any completely different. “How will you problem the very best gamers on the earth in such a state? I believe I should settle for it someplace. As a result of two hours of coaching will not be ok to play with the best stage of gamers and get the specified outcomes. I’m interested by it. Will probably be unhappy as a result of it is sort of a job {that a} regular individual does. A sportsperson’s profession is all the time a brief one. I began on the age of 9,” Saina mentioned.
Saina, broadly acclaimed because the pioneer for ladies’s badminton in India, added that she’s labored her physique to the bottom. “I’ve had a protracted profession and I’m very happy with that. I’ve damaged my physique to an excellent extent. I’m proud of what I’ve achieved and given all of it,” she mentioned.
Saina limped out of the second spherical of 2016 Olympics shedding to little-known Maria Ulitina of Ukraine. She beneath -went a surgical procedure on her proper knee after that however it has been an uphill battle ever since.
She did not qualify for the following two Olympics.
“Competing on the Olympics is a toddler -hood dream for all. You pre -pare to achieve that stage for years. Therefore, at occasions, whenever you realise you will be unable to make it, hurts quite a bit. It isn’t such as you don’t wish to play, however your physique is telling you that you’re not doing properly and you’ve got accidents,” mentioned Saina.
The one Indian lady to be ranked No.1 on the earth, Saina joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Celebration (BJP) a couple of years again.
Most prime girls shuttlers finish their profession be -tween 28 to 30. Even those that proceed — like Tai Tzu Ying, Ratchanok Intanon and Carolina Marin — have been inconsistent at greatest.
In Saina’s case, it solely appears to be a query of when, not why.
Saina had first hinted at retirement on June 6, 2023 when she misplaced to Ratchanok Intanon within the first spherical of Singapore Open.It was a difficult knee and she or he advised TOI final yr that it wanted to heal utterly for her to compete once more. On Monday got here one other admission that arthritis has taken a toll on her physique and her recreation. By the way, Saina and Gagan each gained bronze medals on the London Olympics in 2012.
The 34-year-old pathbreaker continues to coach together with her husband Parupalli Kashyap, however this yr might properly be her final on the courts.
Deciding when to finish one’s profession is a significant dilemma for all sportspersons and Saina is not any completely different. “How will you problem the very best gamers on the earth in such a state? I believe I should settle for it someplace. As a result of two hours of coaching will not be ok to play with the best stage of gamers and get the specified outcomes. I’m interested by it. Will probably be unhappy as a result of it is sort of a job {that a} regular individual does. A sportsperson’s profession is all the time a brief one. I began on the age of 9,” Saina mentioned.
Saina, broadly acclaimed because the pioneer for ladies’s badminton in India, added that she’s labored her physique to the bottom. “I’ve had a protracted profession and I’m very happy with that. I’ve damaged my physique to an excellent extent. I’m proud of what I’ve achieved and given all of it,” she mentioned.
Saina limped out of the second spherical of 2016 Olympics shedding to little-known Maria Ulitina of Ukraine. She beneath -went a surgical procedure on her proper knee after that however it has been an uphill battle ever since.
She did not qualify for the following two Olympics.
“Competing on the Olympics is a toddler -hood dream for all. You pre -pare to achieve that stage for years. Therefore, at occasions, whenever you realise you will be unable to make it, hurts quite a bit. It isn’t such as you don’t wish to play, however your physique is telling you that you’re not doing properly and you’ve got accidents,” mentioned Saina.
The one Indian lady to be ranked No.1 on the earth, Saina joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Celebration (BJP) a couple of years again.
Most prime girls shuttlers finish their profession be -tween 28 to 30. Even those that proceed — like Tai Tzu Ying, Ratchanok Intanon and Carolina Marin — have been inconsistent at greatest.
In Saina’s case, it solely appears to be a query of when, not why.
