Thursday 20 June 2013
News updated at 3:30 AM IST
Weather
Max: 27.7°C
Min : 19.7°C
In Bangalore
Generally cloudy

Super Saina returns to rousing welcome

New Delhi, Aug 7, 2012, (PTI):

Ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal today returned to a rousing reception after winning a historic bronze medal at the Olympic Games in London.

Saina was flanked by her father Harvir Singh, coach Pullela Gopichand and several secuity personnel as she arrived in the national capital early this morning on a British Airways flight.

The 20-year-old showed no signs of a jet lag as she smiled and greeted several cheering fans, who jostled to catch a glimpse of her at the Indira Gandhi International Airport from where she took a connecting flight to her base Hyderabad.


Wang twisted her knee late in the opening game when attempting an acrobatic smash from the rear court.

The Chinese shuttler was unable to continue the contest and the bronze went to Saina who became only the second Indian woman after weightlifter Karnam Malleswari (bronze in 2000 Sydney) to clinch an Olympic medal.

It was also the country's 10th individual medal since its first - a bronze - in 1952 by wrestler Kashaba Jadhav and its third in the ongoing Olympics after rifle shooter Gagan Narang's bronze on July 30 and pistol marksman Vijay Kumar's silver yesterday.

The other badminton players who also landed with Saina were men's singles quarterfinalist P Kashyap and women's doubles pair of Ashwini Ponnappa and Jwala Gutta.

Another coach Edwin Iriawan was also a part of the badminton contingent which returned.

Go to Top

Photo Gallery
England's Joe Root, left, runs in safe as South Africa's Francois du Plessis unsuccessfully ...

England's Joe Root, left, runs in safe as South Africa's Francois du Plessis unsuccessfully ...

Tamil actor Dhanush and Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor at a dance reality show Jhalak Dikhla Jaa...

Tamil actor Dhanush and Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor at a dance reality show Jhalak Dikhla Jaa...

Army Chief Gen Bikram Singh during flagged-in ceremony of the Army's Mount Trishul expedition...

Army Chief Gen Bikram Singh during flagged-in ceremony of the Army's Mount Trishul expedition...

Sadhus performing Bhajan kirtan at Kamakhya temple ahead of the Ambubachi mela in Guwahati...

Sadhus performing Bhajan kirtan at Kamakhya temple ahead of the Ambubachi mela in Guwahati...

A view of submerged buildings in the flooded river Ganga in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand on Wednesday.

A view of submerged buildings in the flooded river Ganga in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand on Wednesday.

A dock worker walks past shipping containers at the main Sri Lankan port in Colombo June 19...

A dock worker walks past shipping containers at the main Sri Lankan port in Colombo June 19...

A view of collapsed road in Rishikesh after heavy flooding destroyed it in Rishikesh on Wednesday.

A view of collapsed road in Rishikesh after heavy flooding destroyed it in Rishikesh on Wednesday.

A member of the rescue operation team of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) or Armed Border Force walks...

A member of the rescue operation team of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) or Armed Border Force walks...

West Bengal Governor M K Naryanan , Dadasaheb Phalke awardee actor, Soumitra Chatterjee(C) ...

West Bengal Governor M K Naryanan , Dadasaheb Phalke awardee actor, Soumitra Chatterjee(C) ...

Buses and trucks are submerged in the rising waters of the Yamuna River in New Delhi, India...

Buses and trucks are submerged in the rising waters of the Yamuna River in New Delhi, India...