New Delhi, September 2
Ace Indian shuttler and former Olympic bronze-medallist Saina Nehwal said she was battling arthritis and would have to decide on her future in badminton by the end of the year as the ailment had made it impossible for her to train the usual hours.
The 34-year-old former world No 1, who was the first Indian shuttler to win an Olympic medal with her bronze in London 2012, participated in three editions of the Games before being hit by injuries.The 2010 and 2018 Commonwealth Games gold-medallist said she could no longer overlook the fact that her career was in its final leg.
“The knee is not in a good shape. I have arthritis. It is very difficult to push for eight-nine hours,” Nehwal said on the ‘House of Glory’ podcast hosted by Gagan Narang, India’s chef-de-mission in the recent Paris Olympics.How will you challenge the best in the world in such a state? Two hours of training is not enough to get the desired results,” she added.
The trailblazing star, who is also a BJP member, was last seen in action more than a year ago in the Singapore Open where she lost in the opening round.
“I am also thinking about retirement. It will be sad. Obviously, a sportsperson’s career is always a short one. I started at 9, I will be 35 next year. I have had a long career and I am very proud of that. I have given it my all. I will assess how I feel by the end of the year,” she added.
The Padma Shri awardee said competing at the Olympics was her childhood dream and missing two consecutive editions had been hurtful.“You prepare to reach that level for years. And when you realise you will not be able to make it, it hurts a lot,” she expressed.
However, Nehwal said she would look back at her run in the Games with pride. Nehwal also talked about the pressure of expectations and said as a top athlete, she had faced it not just from the observers of the game but also from the near and dear.
