‘Now no one will ask me who I am’ - Saina

Saina Nehwal maybe out of the Olympics medal run, but the 18-year-old promises to bounce back. She credits her success to former all-England champion and coach Pullela Gopichand and wishes for ‘instant’ recognition for him. Is MS Gill listening?
PEDEN DOMA BHUTIA Times News Network

Your ringtone, Tashan ve, is interesting. Do you think Indian sportspersons lack tashan? Is that why an Anju Bobby George gets disqualified from the Olympics?

• I don’t think we lack tashan, but yes, I too, couldn’t believe that an athlete like Anju got disqualified with three foul jumps. Maybe she just had a very bad day.
Coming to your game, you were all set to move into the women’s semifinals, but lacked the energy for the home stretch.

Did you get complacent at any point because of the eight-point lead in the decider?

• It was a slow court and my smashes were not going at the desired pace. As my opponent got closer and sent me to the corners with canny court craft, I got more and more tense. I was scared to play some strokes because of the narrowing margin. And when she took the lead, I thought I’d lost half the battle. The manner in which I hurried for some shots in the second game betrayed my fatigue. This affected my game. In my hurry to finish the game fast, I made a string of bad judgements.

What have you learnt from your exit in the quarters?

• In my Olympics debut, I never expected to beat the World No. 4 and reach so far. But I’ve realized that you can achieve a lot as long as you work towards your goal.

What if you could play the quarters again?

• If I could, I’d love to play that match again. This time, after the scores read 11-3, I’d like to play patiently with big rallies instead of playing hits. All that hitting made me tired.

Do foreign shuttlers score over us in technique and temperament?

• Technique-wise we are better. But they score over us in temperament. They don’t give up easily. Once on court, our players have a pre-conceived notion that they can’t defeat their foreign counterparts. Nobody, no matter if he/she is a World No. 1, is invincible.

What was your homecoming from Beijing like?

• Oh! I loved it! Today I have become a household name. Now no one will ask me who I am. Though a similar situation happened on Tuesday, when we called on the sports minister. He couldn’t recognize my coach Pullela Gopichand!
Was MS Gill joking?

• I don’t think so. If he forgets me, it’s OK, but he possibly can’t forget Pullela Gopichand. Apart from the fact that he’s my coach, he’s also achieved a lot for our country. I couldn’t believe it when Mr Gill asked him who he was, but Gopi Sir took it in his stride.

Do you think other sports do not get their due because cricket hogs the limelight?

• Why do we compare cricket with other sports? Cricket is more entertainment than anything else.

Being a female sportsperson playing a racquet sport, comparisons with Sania Mirza are inevitable. Is the media unfair in creating all that hype around her?

• Well, the media wrote a lot about Sania when she was performing well and that’s fair enough. Her skirt and nose ring came into focus only after there was nothing much to write about her game. Why waste time in writing about her attire? She’s a sportsperson and you should write about her game. But the media has been kind to me after my return from the Olympics.

How conscious are you about your appearance?

• The only thing that I concentrate on, is my never-say-die attitude.

Will we be seeing you on TV endorsing products?

• I have been offered endorsements, but I can’t talk about them right now.

Are you open to doing films?

• Not right now. I’d rather concentrate on my game. I have a lot to achieve in badminton. Maybe when I feel that I’ve done enough in sports, I might consider it.

Who is your favourite actor?

• Shah Rukh Khan. But now I’m looking forward to watching Singh is Kinng.

Source - Times Of India