funnu's Weblog: Saina Nehwal: Indian Challenger (London Olympics)

Saina Nehwal, a sketch by foniars on Flickr.

As the London Olympics 2012 are less than a month away, let us give our sports person all the good wishes they need. The second sketch features India's ace shuttler Saina Nehwal.

Many of us desired, some of us tried but only a few could leap over the wall, let's hope they climb down the mountain.

I include here the introduction from WIKIPEDIA (the free encyclopedia).

Saina Nehwal (born March 17, 1990) is an Indian Khel Ratna badminton player currently ranked 5 in the world by Badminton World Federation. Saina is supported by the Olympic Gold Quest. Saina is the first Indian woman to reach the singles quarterfinals at the Olympics and the first Indian to win the World Junior Badminton Championships. Saina Nehwal made history on June 21, 2009, becoming the first Indian to win a Super Series tournament, by clinching the Indonesia Open with a victory over higher-ranked Chinese Wang Lin in Jakarta.

Saina won her second career Super Series title by winning the Singapore Open title on June 20, 2010. She completed a hat-trick in the same year by winning the Indonesian Open on June 27, 2010. This win resulted in her rise to 3rd ranking and subsequently to No. 2. Later in the same year she also won Hong Kong Super Series on December 12, 2010. After experiencing a poor 2011 season, Saina become the first Indian singles player to reach the summit stage of year-ending Super Series Finals defeating two-time All England champion and World No. 5 Tine Baun in the semi-finals.

Previously coached by S. M. Arif, a Dronacharya Award winner, Saina is the reigning Indian national junior champion and is currently coached by Indonesian badminton legend Atik Jauhari since August 2008, with the former All England champion and national coachPullela Gopichand being her mentor.

Saina Nehwal is a Jat and was born in Dhindar, Hisar district, Haryana and completed first few years of her schooling from Campus School. Her Father initially worked in CCS HAU and they then had their residence in the University Campus. He later shifted to Hyderabad & so Saina spent her growing years in Hyderabad, India. Her foray into the world of badminton was influenced by her father Dr. Harvir Singh, a scientist at the Directorate of Oilseeds Research, Hyderabad and her mother Usha Nehwal, both of whom were former badminton champions in Haryana. She is the top ranked player (women) in Indian Badminton history.

For more information: