About Saina Nehwal
The Indian first woman to win gold at the Olympics, Saina Nehwal also participated in the World Championship finals. She had a ranking as Number 1 in the world in 2015. She is also the recipient of numerous awards, including the following:
- 2008- Most Promising Player of the Year award by Badminton World Federation
- 2009- Arjuna Award
- 2010- Padma Shri
- 2009–2010- Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna
- 2016- Padma Bhushan
Saina Nehwal Biography
Saina Nehwal’s age is now 31 years old. She was born on March 17, 1990 in Hisar, Harayana, India. Her parents were Usha Rani Nehwal and Harvir Singh Nehwal, who has a Ph.D. degree in agricultural science. However, at her birth, her grandparents felt disappointment and did not visit baby Saina for many months.
In her early years, she had a language issue when it came to socializing with other children. This led her to turn to badminton as an expressive and athletic means. Her parents played the game, and at the age of 8 years, she began the sport. She had history behind her, as her mother played for Hariyana state and her father enjoyed the game at the university level.
As a child, she followed alongside her mother as she went to participate in games at the local club. Her family dreamed of Saina becoming a badminton player at the national level. They sacrificed time and funds so that she could get the best training for badminton. She first trained with Pullela Gopichand in his academy, Gopichand Badminton Academy in 2014, but then left Gopichand. Later, she joined Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy in Bangalore, where she trained under U. Vimal Kumar.
By 2002 Nehwal, won her first badminton title; it was the U-13 Sub-Junior National title. Two years later, in 2004, she won the Junior National title. Following that, the senior national title went to her, three years later.
Her first international success came with the Asian Satellite Badminton Championship; it took place in India that year. By 2006, she held the title of runner-up in the Junior World Championships.
The year 2018 saw the marriage of Sania and Parupalli Kashyap. They had a relationship that began almost a decade before. They met at a camp in 1997, but they did not begin training together until 2002. As a professional badminton player as well, Parupalli knows the ups and downs of the game and as an badminton superstar, has represented India in the Olympics.
Making History
In 2009, she became the first Indian badminton player to win the BWF Super Series; the Indonesia Open was the venue. The same year, 2009, she received the Arjuna Award, an award for outstanding performance in sports. The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, the highest in Indian sports, followed a year later.
The year 2010 saw Saina defending her title at the Indonesia Open. She also won the India Open and Singapore Super Series that same year.
She added to badminton history in 2015 as she became the first Indian in history to reach the number 1 ranking and World Championship finals.
With her rigorous schedule and the abundant activity, Nehwal’s court performance began to suffer from injuries. However, by 2018, she teamed up with her former Gopichand coach. It was soon proven a good choice; she won the 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medal with a defeat against P.V. Sindhu.
Saina Nehwal News
As a child, she played karate before beginning badminton. She holds a brown belt.
Saina Nehwal’s net worth has an estimate of $3 million.
Her fame resulted in guest appearances in numerous Indian shows, including Comedy Nights with Kapil, Satyamev Jayate, The Kapil Sharma Show and Sam Jam.
She published an autobiography, “Playing to Win: My Life On and Off Court,” in 2012. A biopic, entitled “Saina,” with actress Parineeti Chopra, saw release in 2021. It featured Saina’s life.
A social media lover, she has 8.5 million followers on Twitter. Her followers on Instagram number 1.5 million. She stays busy uploading exciting photos and videos.
She has endorsement deals from a variety of companies including Yonex, which first sponsored her in 2002.
She went back to Gopichand Academy in 2020, along with husband Parupalli Kashyap, to begin training for the Tokyo Olympics. However, Saina lost hope in qualification, when the final Olympic qualifier in Singapore received cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2022, with the World Championships returning to Spain, where she won in 2006, Sania will be missing. Injuries will prevent her from returning to Madrid, for the first time in 12 events. She struggled on other courts around the world during the last two years which includes withdrawal from other events.
What are her hobbies? She enjoys reading magazines and books. Also on her list are comics, yoga books and badminton magazines. She enjoys sketching and was a competitor in sketching contests while younger. She still carries a notebook with her to record what inspires her.
She loves Bollywood movies and enjoys the work of the actor, Shah Rukh Khan. In fact, her favorite movie stars him and is “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.”
FAQ
She is born in in Hisar, Harayana, India.
She has a fitness routine, jumping, balance, and change of direction. She works out six days a week.
She won her first award and title in 2002, at the U-13 Sub-Junior National.
Parupalli Kashyap is the husband of Saina. She has known him since childhood, first having met at camp. He also plays badminton and represented India in the Olympic games.
