Indian badminton in transition, need to give youngsters time: Saina

Saina Nehwal hung up her racquet a while ago but she continues to follow the sport as closely as ever. The former World No. 1 Olympic and World Championship medallist believes India is on its way to being a badminton powerhouse but admits it will take time.

“Every country goes through phases and I think Indian badminton too is going through a transition right now. There are talented players but yes there has been a slight dip in terms of results especially among the girls. But we need to give them some time before any judgement,” Saina insisted on the sidelines of launching the New Delhi chapter of the Legends’ Vision Legacy Tour 2025 and its community project A Racquet’s Second Life at the Siri Fort Sports Complex here.

The launch was accompanied by on-court sessions for kids with Saina and former Danish star Peter Gade, one of the co-founders of the project, with the duo explaining the different angles, shots, grips, rallies and playing tips through live demo.

A series of exhibition matches were also played by the two along with other project ambassadors including P. Kashyap, Anand Pawar, Aparna Popat and Sayali Gokhale.

“As players, we want to promote this because we have played the sport for so many years. Growing up as an Indian female player, I didn’t have a role model whom I could dream of emulating. But now the kids have so many role models to look up to and we hope to give them a means to live their dream.” Saina said.