Saina Nehwal celebrates her 30th birthday on March 17, 2020. Born to former state-level badminton players on this day in 1990, Nehwal journeyed her way into the peak of badminton universe and has created several records and an everlasting legacy for herself. She is often, and rightfully, credited for the surge in aspiring women’s badminton players in the country and put India’s map on the global badminton world with her spree of winning trophies. At her peak, Saina Nehwal was the poster girl of Indian badminton. Saina was the first Indian women and only second Indian – after Prakash Padukone – to attain the World No 1 ranking. Saina was the first Indian to win most of the major Badminton tournaments name has her name inscribed on top as the first winner of most titles won by an Indian shuttler, male or female. International Women’s Day 2020: Saina Nehwal, Mithali Raj, Sania Mirza, PV Sindhu and Other Female Sports Personalties Who Made India Proud.

Nehwal was born in Haryana but brought up in Hyderabad, where she also educated herself. Legacy has it that Nehwal used badminton to express herself and socialise with the other kids in Hyderabad as she couldn’t speak or understand their language.

She took up Badminton at the age of eight to fulfil her mother’s dream of becoming a national level badminton player and winning international tournaments. Saina won her first title in 2006 at the age of 16 and has not looked back ever since. On her 30th birthday, take a look at some lesser-known facts about Saina Nehwal.

  • Saina Nehwal was born to Harvir Singh and Usha Rani on March 17, 1990, in Hisar district of Haryana

  • Both of Sain Nehwal's parents were state-level Badminton champions in Haryana

  • Saina Nehwal was the first badminton player to win World Junior Badminton Championship

  • Saina Nehwal Holds a brown belt in karate and was training to become professional before taking up Badminton

  • In 2006, Saina Nehwal became first Player to win the Asian Satellite Badminton Tournament twice

  • Saina Nehwal Celebrates Every Win by eating an ice-cream

  • Nehwal is only Indian to have won a singles medal in every major BWF tournament, i.e., Olympics, world championships & junior world championships

  • Saina became India first-ever badminton Olympic medallist when she clinched bronze at 2012 London Olympics

  • Nehwal is also first Indian woman and second Indian overall (Prakash Padukone being the first) to attain world no 1 ranking in badminton

  • Saina Nehwal is one of only two Indians to have completed the rare feat of winning medals in the quintet (Olympics, World & Asian championships, commonwealth & Asian Games) of badminton tournaments

In 2017, a serious knee injury threatened to derail her career. Nehwal had played the Asian Badminton Championships with the injury and won a bronze. But was knocked out of the quarter-finals in the Indonesia Open Superseries and got her biggest blow when she crashed out of the group stages at the 2016 Rio Olympics although she had won the Australian Super Series in between. But Nehwal bounced back from the blow to win her second World Championship medal and the national championships.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 17, 2020 08:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).