Saina Nehwal: A semi-fictional biography of the Badminton Baroness

Saina Nehwal

1990: Haryana

It was a brisk forenoon, as the sun trudged above the distant horizon giving off a warm glow. Hisar, a remote district in Haryana, was still rimy from the previous night. As the wheat farms descended into their spectral swaying dance, the sun emerged between two fluffy clouds admiring the beautiful conduct. The landscape was a coalesce of golden and green, with random sprouting houses scattered throughout.

The smell of melted butter, warm milk and spices drifted through the air, as several families prepared the great Indian breakfast. Chirping birds glided over to rooftops and balconies to consume their daily portion of Baajara – a mix of oats and wheat presented for the animals throughout northern India by Punjabif families.

Somewhere amidst the muster of houses, at a time between dawn and twilight, a young girl was to be born in one of the dwellings. And that girl was destined to change the very fabric and texture of Indian sports.

2010: Indonesian Super Series

An eerie silence weighed upon the stadium, almost too heavy and harrowing to bear. The crowd sat stiff, monopolized by the performance of the two young athletes. It was match point for the Indian, and if she won it, her ranking would throttle to a dizzying position. After all, this would be her third consecutive tournament win.

The crowd watched eagerly as the handmade shuttle cock danced over the net, zipped past racquets and spun high in the air. The Indian gave the shuttle a touch, managing it over the net to her opponent who gave it the slightest caress, only to send it aimlessly into the net. It was the Indian’s match. Not only had she won, she had also embraced a Top 5 pro badminton ranking and a third consecutive tournament win.

The supportive crowd immediately broke out into cheers, and the exhilarated Indian lay breathing heavily on the court. She quickly picked herself up and went up to take the trophy. It didn’t belong to her, it was the country’s possession. As her hands curled around the two golden handles, she wondered about her family, about her friends, the people who had made the path she had to follow and pushed her along, until this very moment.

This trophy was not just hers, but also of the entire Indian nation. And she had earned it rightfully.

1998: Hyderabad

The ringing alarm shattered the dead silence of the night like thin glass. After the young girl spanked the clock shut, she wound her way to the washroom, to freshen up and get into her training gear. After a while, the girl emerged from her room, dressed and ready to have a spry game of badminton and with loads of training. Her father awaited her presence in the main room and soon the duo set out in the fresh morning.

Their destination was the Lal Bahadur Stadium, located 25 km away. The journey was long, but she was used to it and they arrived soon enough. Her training with the coach, Nani Prasad, was fierce and tiring, but she was getting better with each passing moment. Her strokes and movement soon gained an uncanny form of coordination and her game style began to mould into form.

As the 8-year-old girl practised and practised some more, coach Prasad carefully observed her. Her movements were almost too perfect, her leg work almost too good and her stamina was breathtaking. This girl will surely go a long way, he told himself. And she did indeed exceed his limitless expectations.

2010: India

The barrage of camera flashes and media attention perturbed her. Numerous flower chains hung around her neck as though she had returned from the dead. As she made her way through the arrival terminal, her mind drifted back to the game. It had been a tough Super Series tournament, against some truly great players. All the training, hard work and dedication had paid off. She was now ranked World No. 3 and would soon surge to No. 2. It looked like she would finally achieve her life-long ambition of being the best female badminton player, at a mere young age of 20.

The broad smile on her face indicated her contentment and happiness. The trail to success had been inaugurated by a stunning victory at the Philippines Open in 2006. She had entered the tournament with a reasonable rank of 86 but had subsequently defeated some top ranked players like Huaiwen Xu and Julia Xian Pei Wong before claiming the title. The same year she had been a runner-up at the World Junior Badminton Championship, where she lost a hard-fought final against the Chinese top seed Wang Yihan.

Two years later, she won the World Junior Badminton Championship by crushing the ninth-ranked Japanese, Sayaka Sato. Later, she became the first Indian woman to reach the Olympics quarterfinals after she vanquished the World No. 4, Wang Chen. In September 2008, she won the Yonex Chinese Taipei Open after defeating Li Ya Lydia Cheah of Malaysia.

But her landmark win, the one that proved her game and exhibited her talent, had taken place in 2009.

2009: Indonesian Super Series

Her coach’s words rang like resonant beats in her ears. “Play your best. Look at the opponent in the eye. Reveal to her your secret identity. Assure her that you are going to win the match. Once you have done so, give the game your best. Remember, it’s not the ranking that matters while you play.”

She gave a quick glance to the coach who sat amidst the fitness team. As her heart beat faster, her breathing became better and her concentration increased. She touched the racquet and waited for her opponent to serve. She remembered her long journey so far. All the wins and all the losses. This is where it all came to a head - the chance to win her first Badminton World Federation Super Series title.

The Super Series events in badminton are equivalent to the Grand Slams in tennis, the World Cups in team games and the Playoffs in basketball. It is the ultimate test for the best. If she won this then there would be no stopping her. Not only would she be the first Indian to win a Badminton World Federation Super Series, she would also make a significant climb in the rankings. She would prove her worth and magnify the country’s glory.

Her opponent served the shuttle. The duo played for a good while before the breathtaking moment arrived. Her coach’s words rang in her ears again. She couldn’t miss this. Losing wasn’t an option for her. As the shuttle swiveled high over the net, the Indian swung her racquet and performed her perfect signature move. High in the air, her legs in the switched postion, her hand soared upwards and the racquet hit the shuttle, sending it spinning crazily on the other side of the net. Her opponent wasn’t prepared for such a move but she still gave it a try. However, the peculiar spin of the shuttle and its sky-scraping height was too much for the Chinese, and her racquet missed it by an inch, leaving the shuttle to parachute and clamber on the ground.

It took less than a nanosecond for the Indian to realize that victory was hers, and she instantly broke into a picture of joy and victory. Tears of happiness flowed down her cheeks. She had done it. The first Indian to win a Badminton World Federation Super Series, and that too against the top player in the world, Wang Lin. As she shook hands with the Chinese, she glimpsed a message of warmth in Wang’s deep eyes. Even though Wang had lost, she had displayed true sportsmanship.

The Indian, on the other hand, had put up a genuine exhibit of dedication, hard work and of course, world class badminton. Now, whichever hurdle would come her way, she knew she could overcome it.

1999: Hyderabad

The sole purpose of the new house was to cut down the ever-rising expenses. The family had moved closer to the Lal Bahadur Stadium so the travelling time and cost were minimized, but due to the little girl’s evening session practices, the cost had still moved up. A rough gross total that was now spent on the girl ranged anywhere from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 12,000 per month. Getting brand new racquets, guts and equipment cost a hefty sum of money.

Somehow, the dedicated father did all he could to the fund the little girl’s dream because he believed in her capabilities. The girl’s playing ability too had seen a steep climb. With continuous and rigorous practice, the girl would soon enter the realm of tournaments and competitions. The Tirupati U-10 Badminton Open was about to be held, and the little girl played gracefully to claim her very first title at the staggering age of 9. Who would have known back then that she would go on to become the world champ?

2002: Hyderabad

“Come here, my dear damsel! Guess who just called?” bellowed the (now not so) little girl’s dad.

“Coming daddy. Who was it? Grandfather? I want to talk to him!” said the girl eagerly.

“No dear. It was the Yonex Sunrise! They have offered to sponsor your kit. So you may get a new racquet every month or so, and we don’t pay a penny for it!” said the dad, as if he had conquered Mount Everest.

“That’s great daddy! I love you!” she yelled before giving her dad a big, warm hug.

2010: Hyderabad

After Yonex Sunrise agreed to sponsor the Indian, everything eased out. The rising costs and equipment requirement eventually started fading. As the situation became more amenable, various tournaments and programme invitations came to her.

The 13-year-old girl’s first international tournament was held in Czechoslovakia, which she easily conquered. The Commonwealth Youth Games of the year 2004 followed, in which a silver medal was earned. Two years later, the Asian Satellite Badminton Tournament was scaled by her too. She also won the Philippines Open and the Asia Satellite Badminton Tournament in 2006 again. Two admirable wins in 2007 followed – the Indian National Badminton Championships and National Games of India; she earned gold in both the events.

She won a whopping five tournaments in 2008, the most prestigious one being the Chinese Grand Prix Open. The others included a second win at the Indian National Badminton Championships, another win at the Commonwealth Youth Games and lastly, a Badminton World Federation Junior Super Series win.

After winning two prestigious titles in 2009 – the Indonesian Super Series and 2009 All Indian Open Grand Prix – she went on to win the 2010 Asian Badminton Championships, the 2010 All Indian Open Grand Prix , the 2010 Singapore Open Series and the 2010 Indonesia Open series, taking her ranking all the way up to an eminent No. 2.