Olympic medal-winning Indian badminton star Saina Nehwal has confirmed her retirement from competitive sport, saying her body is no longer able to cope with the demands of elite sport.
Olympic medal-winning Indian badminton star Saina Nehwal has confirmed her retirement from competitive sport, saying her body is no longer able to cope with the demands of elite sport. The 2012 London Olympics bronze medalist played her last competitive match at the 2023 Singapore Open.
"I quit playing two years ago," she said in a podcast. "I felt I started playing on my own terms and would leave on my own terms, so there was no need to announce it." She added, "If you're not able to play anymore, that's fine."
A serious knee injury sustained at the Rio 2016 Olympics severely impacted Saina's career. Although she made a remarkable comeback, winning a bronze medal at the 2017 World Championships and a gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, persistent knee problems continued to hamper her progress.
In 2024, Saina revealed that she had arthritis in her knees and the cartilage had completely worn out, making it almost impossible to play at the top level.
A look at his success
- Olympic bronze medal: She became the first Indian badminton player to win an Olympic medal. This achievement was achieved at the 2012 London Olympics.
- World No. 1: In April 2015, she became the world's No. 1 female badminton player, becoming the first Indian woman to achieve this rank.
- Medals in World Championships: Won a silver medal in 2015 and bronze medal in 2017.
- Commonwealth Gold: Won gold medal in women's singles at the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games and 2018 Gold Coast Games.
- BWF Super Series: Won major tournaments such as the Indonesia Open, Hong Kong Open, and Australia Open. Overall, she holds numerous elite titles.
- World Junior Champion: Created history for India by winning the World Junior Badminton Championship in 2008.
Awards: Received India's highest sporting honours: Khel Ratna (2009), Padma Shri (2010) and Padma Bhushan (2016).
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