Saina Nehwal
About
Saina Nehwal was the Indian female player to achieve the title of World No. 1 in the sport of badminton. She has brought home an Olympic bronze & won over twenty-four international titles, which include eleven Super Series titles!
She started playing badminton at the age of eight after her family moved from Haryana to Hyderabad. Her initiation into the game was primarily because she didn’t know the local language well and she wanted to further the dream of her mother, who was a state-level badminton player herself.
She is the first Indian badminton player to have won an Olympic medal, along with being the only Indian to have won the BWF World Junior Championships or to have reached to the final of the BWF World Championships.
Awards and Accomplishments
Awards and Accomplishments
Saina has been conferred with the Padma Bhushan – India’s third highest civilian award- in 2016. She has also received the ‘Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna’and ‘Arjuna Award’ in 2009 & ‘Most Promising Player of The Year’ in 2008 by the Badminton World Federation.
In 2015, Nehwal became the number one ranked player in the world, the first ever Indian to have reached the top spot.
In her 12-year-long badminton career, Saina Nehwal has won over 24 international titles, eleven of which are Superseries titles.
Why Saina Nehwal ?
Saina is without a doubt one of the country’s greatest inspirational speakers, ideal for schools, sports teams and corporate audiences who wish to tap into themes such as performance, leadership and determination and Olympic glory. A role model for many, she is credited to increasing the popularity of badminton in India & also considered one of the most successful Indian sportspersons.