Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu have made this this second most popular sport in a a cricket-crazy nation and today there are umpteen youngsters who are taking to the sport of badminton than ever before. Saina Nehwal has been a former number 1 and still continues to hold fort in the top ten. PV Sindhu on the other hand has pipped Saina and become the new queen of Indian badminton after she brought glory to the nation by bagging the silver medal at the Rio Olympics. If Sindhu has been in red-hot form, Saina, who is recovering from an injury has not won a big tournament since a very long time and that has hurt the self belief it seems. It seems she is doing all the right things, training hard as well but luck has just stayed of her and that seems to have frustrated Saina Nehwal who spoke to an Indian media house about Sindhu, future of Indian badminton and its present and her own game and fitness.
“Sindhu has been playing at the top level for more than seven or eight years. When you play continuously for these many years, then results will come,” the 27-year-old Saina said.
Speaking of the current state of affairs in Indian badminton she spoke of the brimming, upcoming talents and said, “Rituparna is close enough and there is Rithvika. But we need more girls coming into the top league. It is true that we don’t have too many girls coming through in Indian badminton when compared to boys,” she said. “There are fourteen or fifteen boys who are of the same level and they are winning tournaments. I was so happy to see Sai Praneeth and Srikanth playing the final of a Super Series.”
