Saina Nehwal Birthday Special: A Look at Indian Badminton Star's Biggest Achievement as She Turns 28

Saina Nehwal, one of the torchbearers of the game of badminton in India turns 27 on Saturday. The 2012 London Olympic Bronze medalist born on March 17, 1990, is quite a sought-after athlete and her performances over the years has won hearts of a million Indians. Saina Nehwal’s career is nothing sort of exemplary for budding badminton players throughout the country and her birthday holds a special place in the hearts of her fans.

Moving to Hyderabad at a young age after being born in Hindu Jat Family in Hisar, a district in Haryana, Saina made her presence felt in the national circuit at a very young age. She won the four-star Philippines Open at 16 and also had the Under-19 national championships under her belt. This was the beginning of a journey that has seen her scale great heights in badminton. On her 28th birthday, we look at some of the tremendous feats of Saina Nehwal as an ode to this amazing sporting stalwart.

2012 London Olympics Bronze Medal

Saina Nehwal became the first Indian badminton player to win an Olympic medal after then World No 2 Xin Wang of China was forced to retire hurt after an ankle twist. Saina had displayed some amazing shuttle work in the London 2012 Summer Olympics in the run-up to the bronze medal match. Though she trailed 1-0 in the crunch tie and needed a stroke of luck to confirm a medal, her win brought great joy to the nation.

Saina Nehwal, the World No 1

Saina Nehwal is the first Indian female badminton player to have achieved the World No. 1 ranking and only the second badminton player after Prakash Padukone to reach the summit of world rankings. In March 2015, the defeat of Carolina Marin at hands of Saina at the India Open semi-final paved the way for this remarkable feat.

23 International Titles

Saina Nehwal to her credit has won 23 International titles which include 10 Super Series when she defeated Thai Pornpawee Chochuwong in the Malaysian Masters Grand Prix Gold in 2017. Apart from this, she is the only Indian to have won a medal at the BWF World Championships and the BWF World Junior Championships.

Commonwealth Games accolades 

Saina Nehwal is someone who is known to have a very consistent record when it comes to major tournaments. She secured the Bronze medal at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in the mixed category event. In the 2010 Commonwealth Games held in New Delhi, Saina bagged the women’s singles gold medal in front of her jubilant supporters. Although she was unfortunate not to take part in the 2014 event in Glasgow due to injuries, she is all charged up for the 2018 Commonwealth Games and is hoping to bag another medal for India.

2016 Australian Super Series

This tournament is one of the highlights of her glittering career as it was a testimony to her sheer determination to excel when the going gets tough. Battling several injuries during the 2016 season, Saina defeated Sun Yu of China in the final of the Australian Super Series 11-21, 21-14, 21-19 to claim the title when none had given her a chance to do so.

A host of Indian Honours

Saina is the recipient of India’s third highest civilian prize, the Padma Bhushan awarded in the year 2016. She had previously been conferred with the Padma Shri in 2010. India’s highest sporting honour the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna and Arjuna award are also part of Saina Nehwal’s legacy.

Well, it is fair to say that Badminton in India owes a lot to Saina Nehwal and watching her play is often a thrill a minute ride. In her career spanning well over a decade, the smiles she has brought to the face of her fans is priceless and we certainly hope it only continues in the future. Here is wishing this sporting icon a very happy and prosperous birthday.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 17, 2018 12:11 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).