Badminton

5 Biggest Wins of Saina Nehwal That Will Blow Your Mind

Out of many, these wins of Saina Nehwal are the most noteworthy!

She is the Lady of “First of Firsts” in the Indian Badminton family. Saina Nehwal is 32 now, but her records stand as tall as the Great “Walls” of China in the racquet sport even before she turned 25.

She became the first female Badminton player to win a medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics when she settled for the bronze. A lot was riding on her when she set foot at the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics. But real stars don’t let their failures affect them. Instead, they use them to spring back up.

Here are 5 greatest wins that Saina pulled out in the Badminton Elite circuit, proving that she’s one of the best racket players in the world.

1. Commonwealth Games, Gold medal, 2010

Commonwealth Games, 2010

In 2010, Saina Nehwal created history. She was the first woman to win a Gold medal in the Commonwealth Games in the women’s singles category.

In a nail-biting three-setter, Saina was able to come out victorious beating Malaysia’s Mew Choo Wong. The crowd at Siri Fort went wild.

Even after losing the opening game, Saina picked herself up. She fought back hard and emerged victoriously. However, this wasn’t easy for her. She just about won the second game at 23-21. That injected a dose of confidence in her, as she won the last and final game at 21-13.

What an amazing show put up by Saina!

  1. All England Championship, Silver Medal, 2015

Silver medal at All England Championship

Saina Nehwal really started to prove herself and posed to be a threat to most players out there. After her notable wins at the Commonweath Games and even 2012 Summer Olympics, she was on a roll.

The All England Championship is a prestigious event and Saina just missed out on the gold medal. However, she did win Silver, which is an accomplishment in itself. Making it to the finals was a big deal, as her long-time coach, Pullela Gopichand was the last Indian to win a title here.

Saina was up against one of the most fierce players to date, Carolina Marin. Even though she lost to Marin, she did put up a great fight. She even took the opening game. But the pressure of the match got to her as she lost the deciding game at 7-21.

  1. Syed Modi International Championship 2015

A most expected 3-setter that went down to the wire as the first set was taken by the World Champion Carolina Marin from Spain, 21-19. But she went down fighting to the Local Favorite, Saina 23-25, 16-21 in a gripping final encounter where the Indian claimed the title for the 2nd time in a row.

  1. Total BWF World Championship, 2015

The Indian super shuttler ranked No.2, went on to beat Wang Yihan of China in the Quarterfinals of the BWF World Championship after losing the second set, to qualify for the semi-finals with the score 21-15, 19-21, 21-19 . She later defeated her opponent in the pre-finals to become the first Indian ever to reach the final of a World Championship.

  1. Summer Olympics, Bronze Medal, 2012

Bronze Medal at the Summer Olympics 2012

Winning a medal at the Olympics is something every athlete dreams of. It is arguably the highest medal you can win in the world of sports.

At the 2012 Summer Olympics, Saina Nehwal achieved her dream. Her win was quite a debate. Saina was up against world no 2, Xin Wang of China. It was an extremely tough match for Saina. Unfortunately for the Chinese, Wang suffered a major knee injury and had to pull out. 

The match was going in the favour of the Chinese, but due to this injury, Saina Nehwal emerged victorious. 

Nevertheless, the Indian fans are extremely proud of this feat.

Conclusion

These top 5 wins of Saina Nehwal will always be remembered by the Indians. Saina is the reason young children, especially women have taken up the sports of Badminton. She really did set a great pace in the world of Badminton and have inspired many.

Her achievements are well-noted.

Also Read: Lesser Known PV Sindhu Facts

Sheryl Thomas

Sport Enthusiast with a penchant for Writing. Art and Music Lover, Foodie and a Travel buff.