Saina’s sights were always trained on bigger targets

April 01, 2015 04:13 am | Updated 04:13 am IST - HYDERABAD:

24/08/2002 _Attention: Sports Desk_Badminton Player Saina. To go with the story of VVS._Photo: H.Satish

24/08/2002 _Attention: Sports Desk_Badminton Player Saina. To go with the story of VVS._Photo: H.Satish

It was the closing day of the 2001 Andhra Pradesh state mini and sub-junior badminton championships at Gudivada, not far from the trading town of Vijayawada. One sprightly shuttler, not yet 12 years old, was punching way above her weight in the under-16 final.

Fatigue found her faltering in what was her fifth match of the day. Great sobs racked her frame, for she was unwilling to forgive herself for the ‘failure.’

Over time, the day’s victor — Sarada Govardhini — would fade into obscurity, while the vanquished went on to become World No.1 Saina Nehwal.

Words of comfort from her scientist father Harvir Singh alone could ease the anguish of that defeat.  

Her mother Usha Rani, a former Haryana state player, had entrusted her younger daughter to the tutelage of the late Mir Mahbub Ali.

Patience was the elderly coach’s forte as he taught tiny tots, so easily distracted and least focused on the game, from scratch.

“Saina never seems to tire in training, even enjoying it immensely,” observed Dronacharya Awardee S.M. Arif, a firm believer in the virtues of hard work.

At first apprehensive about taking a junior when picking players for the Sports Authority of India’s day boarder scheme, he was bowled over by her commitment. Enrolling her was a decision the mentor of many would never regret. Long after practice partners quit, worn out with exhaustion, Saina, under coach Govardhan Reddy’s watchful eyes, would soldier on at the Lal Bahadur indoor stadium, her stamina stemming perhaps from a brown belt in judo.

In competition, her game was lean and mean, shorn of frills. A smile was not to be squandered on the foe across the net. A stare before her serve was enough to unsettle an opponent if not size her up. Smashes squashed opposition and returns were rarely brooked.

“Saina moves pretty fast and is gifted with lots of fighting spirit,” noted former All England champion Pullela Gopi Chand. “Not only is she serious, she has a never say die attitude,” said the Birmingham battler.

Early success did not sway the then class VII student of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (NIRD campus), nor blind her to frailties in chops and dribbles. Her sights were trained on targets that she could well reach, such as the mini and sub-junior Nationals in Ooty that November.

To her, the prize on offer held out a lot of promise — a Yonex kit sponsorship!

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