New Delhi, Jan 22 Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar paid a glowing tribute to Indian badminton ace Saina Nehwal for carrying Indian badminton to the world stage during her nearly two-decade-long career.
The 2012 London Olympics bronze medallist, who last played at the BWF Singapore Open in 2023, had not officially announced her retirement until Monday, when, during a podcast, the former World No. 1 said she had left the court on her own terms and “there was no need to announce it.”
Highlighting Saina's contribution to the sport, Tendulkar shared on X, "Dear Saina, your career is proof that greatness is built one day at a time, with patience, courage, and consistency. You carried Indian badminton to the world stage and showed that belief, when matched with preparation, can change the course of a sport."
"Beyond the medals lies your greatest achievement. Inspiring young athletes across the country to believe that global success is possible. Every sporting journey evolves, and while one phase ends, another begins. One where your experience, perspective, and love for the game will continue to guide many. Thank you for everything you’ve given to Indian sport. Your influence will be felt for generations," he added.
Saina rose to international prominence in 2008 after becoming the junior world champion and became the first Indian woman to reach the quarter-finals in singles badminton at the Olympics (Beijing 2008). In 2009, she became the first Indian to win a BWF Super Series title by clinching the Indonesia Open, and a year later she became a Commonwealth Games champion. At London 2012, Saina became India’s first Olympic medallist in badminton.
In 2015, she made more history by becoming the world No. 1 in the singles badminton rankings, establishing herself as the first Indian woman to achieve the feat and the only second shuttler from the country, after Prakash Padukone, to reach the peak.
She also became the first shuttler from the country to reach the final of the BWF World Championships that year but settled for silver after losing to Carolina Marin.
Her career, however, was repeatedly disrupted by knee injuries, most notably following the Rio 2016 Olympics. Despite the setbacks, Saina returned to win a bronze medal at the 2017 World Championships and gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Saina has also won every major national award, including the Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri, Khel Ratna and the Arjuna Award. A biopic titled ‘Saina’ was made about her life and released in 2021.
In 2024, she revealed that she had arthritis and complete cartilage wear in her knees, which forced her to make the difficult decision to bid farewell to the sport she loved.
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