JOIN USIndia can dominate the sport, says Saina
Amidst pouring rain and utter chaos, Sports Minister Vijay Goel felicitated World Championship medalists PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal on Thursday.
Also present on the occasion was Kidambi Srikanth and coaches Vimal Kumar and P Gopichand. The tent spread at the lawns of sports minister’s residence for felicitation was drenched within seconds as heavy rain lashed the city during the afternoon, forcing the event indoors. It triggered complete disorder and confusion as a large gathering of media persons squeezed themselves into a small room.
Goel, sharing the dais with current and former shuttlers, heaped praise on Indian players and compared their popularity to top cricketers. Sindhu had clinched silver at the Worlds in an epic final, and Saina bronze, making it a first in the history of Indian badminton.
Saina, sitting next to her former coach Gopichand, said she was delighted to have made thus far after battling a career threatening injury. “It is very special for me to win the medal after the injury. I am thankful for the support I got from everyone, be it my well wishers or the government. Today the facilities have improved a lot. What we all need to do now is to believe in ourselves, then we can rule the sport like China, Japan and Korea,” she said.
Sindhu admitted it was hard to lose the final after a marathon contest, but said she has taken the loss in her stride. “Immediately after the match, I found the loss to be very hard. But now I am better. It was a long final, and I put in my full effort. There were a lot of long rallies. After 20-20, it was anybody’s game. She (Okuhara) of course played very well. It was not my day,” the 22-year-old said about the 110-minute contest where she lost 19-21, 22-20, 20-22 to Nozomi Okuhara of Japan.
Asked how she feels on being considered a role model for youngsters, Sindhu said: “I feel really happy. I feel we have very talented and bright youngsters coming up the ranks. I personally need to keep improving as well. It is not just one thing or stroke in particular, but about keep on doing the right things every day.”