After the heartbreak of missing out on the Tokyo Olympics qualification, Saina Nehwal sets her sights on Paris 2024.
Indian badminton star Saina Nehwal has quashed all retirement rumours, and stated that she will continue as long as her body doesn’t give up. Saina, who missed the Sudirman Cup, is currently in Denmark leading the Indian women’s charge in Thomas and Uber Cup scheduled to start on Saturday. (More Badminton News)
"When I am earning so much with the game, why should I give it up like that? What will I do even after retiring? I know one will have family and kids at this age but for me why can’t we have it at 36 or 37?” questioned the London Olympics bronze medallist in an interview with Badminton Europe.
“I feel like why not continuing the sport when I am getting so much fame and money with it. A former world No.1, Saina did not have much success in the last two years but is raring to go and most importantly enjoy the game.
“Badminton is what I enjoy and I think I should continue with it till I enjoy the game. Till I am happy with the sport I will continue with it. When I will feel that I can’t control the injuries and my body is not good enough to continue, I will stop” she said.
The Hyderabad star admitted that she is feeling much better now compared to what she was feeling at 23. “The way I am training myself and looking after my body, I think I feel much easier now than when I was 23. At 23, the training which I used to get, I often used to get back pains with a lot of leg irritations,” added the 31-year-old.
Asked about her plans considering the 2024 Paris Olympics in three years time, Saina opined she is yet to overcome the Tokyo Olympics as seven qualifying tournaments got cancelled cutting off her chances to book a ticket to the Japanese capital.
“I haven’t overcome this Olympics, with as many as seven tournaments got cancelled due to COVID. I just needed one tournament, one quarterfinal (to be in Tokyo),” she said. “I don’t know what will happen in 2024, but what I can say is that I feel good and I would like to try for that and why not if everything falls in place.”