Saina Nehwal

**chris-ccc** · 09-30-2008, 07:36 PM

Originally Posted by anshulshirke

New Delhi: Badminton player Saina Nehwal is on a roll and is now ranked 12th in the world. This is the highest any Indian woman has ever reached in the world rankings.

“I am very happy about it. I never thought that I would reach 12 by September end. I was aiming at top 20 by the end of the year but now as I have reached 12, I am aiming at top 10 by the end of the year. It has been great five, six months for me. I have been playing well and I am beating good top players and I my game is improving. I play my best and I keep on improving my ranking,” says the victorious player.

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Congratulations to Saina !!!

I think Saina would move into the Top 10 World Ranking sooner than she thinks.
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**rwg05** · 11-04-2008, 03:02 AM

She's at 11 now...

**limsy** · 11-05-2008, 11:28 PM

SURPRISELY...no one congrates her in this thread...applause for saina...and sato sayaka also rising player...

**fzustudents** · 11-06-2008, 03:19 AM

The China badminton commentator said ,Saina's parents were India badminton national champions.
That means Saina was born in a badminton family , this reminds me of Wang Lin, they have somethings in common

**george@chongwei** · 11-06-2008, 10:15 AM

Originally Posted by limsy

SURPRISELY...no one congrates her in this thread...applause for saina...and sato sayaka also rising player...

because everyone already expected saina to beg this WJC title..
no surprise at all..
she had already made several upsets in some ss tournaments..

**limsy** · 11-06-2008, 10:18 AM

Originally Posted by george@chongwei

because everyone already expected saina to beg this WJC title..
no surprise at all..
she had already made several upsets in some ss tournaments..

i know...still...winning junior champion is something important...no like any ss title...even games title u can chase in another 2 years or 4 years...u will never able to win a world junior title again...

**g1r1sh** · 11-10-2008, 02:20 AM

Originally Posted by fzustudents

The China badminton commentator said ,Saina's parents were India badminton national champions.
That means Saina was born in a badminton family , this reminds me of Wang Lin, they have somethings in common

I saw saina in a tv interview. her parents played badminton alright, but according to that interview, they played till state level, not national level.but yes, i agree, she's got the genes.and i hope she never gets a big head.

**Sealman** · 11-18-2008, 10:41 PM

Saina will be world number one in 3 years: Prakash Padukone
BANGALORE: Saina Nehwal is a 'champion material' and in another three years, India can look forward to seeing a world number one in the Hyderabadi youngster, said legendary shuttler Prakash Padukone.

Seventeen-year-old Saina has most of the qualities a champion needs - physical, technical, mental and self-belief - the former All England Champion said.

"If she continues to work hard and remain focused, there is no reason why she can't reach the very top", Padukone, himself a former world number one and a World Cup winner, told here in an interview.

"It (Saina becoming world number one) is definitely possible. She is already at 11 (in world rankings) now. It's just a matter of time before she breaks into the top 10", he said.

"I think within a year, she is definitely capable of being in top five, and go on to even become number one may be in two-three years," he said.

This year has been an extraordinary one for Saina, who reached the quarterfinals in the Beijing Olympics and won the recent World Junior Badminton title.

"If she continues like this, she has got everything going right", Padukone said, terming her performance in the two events as impressive, creditable and commendable.

"One can look forward to some great performances from her in the future," he said.

Saina needs to plan her tournament schedule properly, Padukone said, advising her to be selective about tournaments and space them out in such a way that she gets enough time and rest and can work on her weaknesses in between.

Training for short stints abroad - may be in Malaysia or Indonesia - would be a good idea for her as such outings would help her familiarise more with the type of game that foreigners play.

"They (foreign players) play a different kind of game, compared to the Indians. So, that does not come as a surprise to you when you play them (If you have short training stints abroad)", Padukone said.

On her quarter-final defeat in Beijing Games, he said that was more due to lack of her experience. Saina was mentally very strong and had self-belief, which were the key factors.

"She believes now that she can beat the best in the world," Padukone said, but cautioned that she should also be prepared to face some defeats along the way as the other players would not give her titles on a platter.

"You have to be prepared mentally to face some reversals...may be one or two odd defeats will be there. That should not upset you", he said.

Source: http://sports.timesofindia.indiatime...ow/3719751.cms

***Oldhand*** · 11-21-2008, 06:26 PM

From The Telegraph of 22 November 2008:

Saina, Bindra fired me up, says Anand

New Delhi: World champion Viswanathan Anand on Friday said the series of successes by various Indian sportspersons had motivated him in defending his title against Vladimir Kramnik of Russia.

“I am really happy to see so much sporting success for India this year. Apart from cricket, I followed Abhinav Bindra and Saina Nehwal’s triumphs. In fact, that gave me a little bit of extra motivation to win again,” Anand said on his return to Chennai.

Anand arrived in Chennai to a tumultuous welcome in the wee hours of Friday and was greeted by a horde of fans and quote-hungry reporters.

This is his first visit home after retaining his title, his return to the country being delayed by illness. He will be taking a couple of months off and will play his next tournament in February.

Anand, who looked tired, was received by his mother Sushila at the airport.
The large crowd that turned up overwhelmed him. “The reception and the enthusiasm of the fans is fantastic. I hope none of you gets killed in the melee,” he said.

The 38-year-old said he was proud of the thumping he gave former world champion Kramnik in the 12-game match — a format that is supposed to be the Russian’s forte.

“A three-point lead is unheard of, especially against a player like Kramnik,” he said, and admitted that his “opening preparations played a big part”.

“Games 3 and 5 were not only important wins but were also beautiful wins,” said Anand, referring to his three-point lead in Bonn last month.

Anand said he was also proud of his consistency and that he managed to peak at the right time because of which he reached the pinnacle of the game.

“I am pretty proud of my consistency. I have been in the top-three (in the world) from 1996... I also managed to peak in the right years which is very important,” he said.

Anand said he had not reached a cul de sac as far as the game was concerned. “I am still learning a lot about chess. I am enthusiastic about it and (still) motivated to play,” he told a news channel.

Asked about his legacy, Anand said, “I am happy and proud that I have contributed in making India a potential powerhouse in chess”.

Anand is the lone Grandmaster to win world titles in three formats — he won the 128-player knockout format in Teheran in 2000, the tournament format in Mexico in 2007 and the traditional match-play format last month.

***Oldhand*** · 11-21-2008, 06:27 PM

Aside:
Does anyone know if Viswanathan Anand plays badminton?

**limsy** · 11-21-2008, 09:46 PM

huh???who is this guy???viswanthan anand???...forgive my naive...and tell me more about him...thanks...^^...

**george@chongwei** · 11-21-2008, 10:04 PM

Originally Posted by limsy

huh???who is this guy???viswanthan anand???...forgive my naive...and tell me more about him...thanks...^^...

from india..
the world chess champion

***Oldhand*** · 11-22-2008, 06:12 AM

Originally Posted by limsy

huh???who is this guy???viswanthan anand???...forgive my naive...and tell me more about him...thanks...^^...

Google has the answers, limsy.

And don't google for 'viswanthan anand'.
Try this spelling: 'Viswanathan Anand'

By the way, Anand is the only Chess Grandmaster to have won the World titles in all three formats — the 128-player knockout format, the regular tournament format and the traditional match-play format.