New Delhi, July 13: In the past, Saina Nehwal would often walk up to her father Harvir Singh, and ask him the same question, “Why don’t I win?”
Battling poor form and a spate of injuries, the ace shuttler was frustrated with constant defeats despite putting in her best efforts. It required a “huge mental shift” as the 20-year-old inculcated the one thing that was missing from her game — the killer instinct.
“Mental toughness can set you apart. I was really heartbroken after my semifinals loss at the Asian Badminton Championships in Delhi earlier this year. May be I was under pressure.
“The loss haunted me and it was then that I thought I have to do something to change it,” said Saina here, who on the day was named the national skipper for the World Championships in Paris in August.
The effort paid dividends as Saina turned June 2010 into a historic period for Indian badminton, winning three titles in successive weeks.
She claimed the Indian Grand Prix title at home, followed by the Singapore Series win. The icing on the cake was the Indonesian Open triumph, that propelled her to the Number 3 spot in the world.
“I was totally exhausted by the time I had reached Indonesia for the third event. But I told myself that I will not give up this time around. ‘Hang on, hang on’... I kept telling myself. Now I don’t give up come what may, and perhaps that is the difference that you see,” said Saina who was felicitated here by the Badminton Association of India and national team sponsor Premier Brands for her achievements. She was also presented with 20 gold coins, synonymous with her age. Saina will become the youngest ever to spearhead an Indian team. “Badminton is an individual game. We have strong players and everyone is on the same wavelength. I will focus on my game and ensure that I do well,” she said.
“It is just the playing environment will be different in the World Championships. I will have my team cheering for me and I, in turn, will be there for them.”
The nine-member squad includes Aditi Mutatkar, Jwala Gutta, Ashwini Ponnappa, Chetan Anand, Parupalli Kashyap, Sanave Thomas, V. Diju and Rupesh Kumar. Saina is now looking ahead to an injury-free build-up to the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, and has also set her sights on the top spot. “Honestly, I believe the Number 1 is well within my reach. But I am not unduly worried about it.” she added.