India's 5 biggest hopes at the Rio Olympics 2016

Saina Nehwal

Currently World No. 8, Nehwal is training for her third Olympic appearance

India's top-ranked shuttler, Nehwal has excelled from the start of her badminton career. Formerly World No. 1, Nehwal won gold at the World Junior Championships in 2008, and has since added a slew of medals to her kitty.

The 26-year-old, who was this year awarded the Padma Bhushan, will aim to participate in her third Olympic Games this year. She was a significant part of India’s contingent at the 2012 London Olympics, eventually going on to win bronze after a semi-final loss to nemesis Wang Yihan.

She previously appeared at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, progressing as far as the quarter-finals before exiting the tournament.

Nehwal has nine Super Series titles to her credit, with another eight BWF Grand Prix and Grand Prix Gold wins under her belt. Although she has been having somewhat of a slower year and a slight dip in form, Nehwal is still the 8th best badminton player in the world and given her track record can definitely excel at the games.

Her participation at the Olympics is contingent on the BWF rankings at the end of May.