2014 should see Saina Nehwal back to her best

There is no doubt that 2013 was statistically the worst year since 2005 for Saina Nehwal as she failed to win a single title and lost to many players she would otherwise steam-roll.

But the talk among certain sections of media and badminton followers about the London Olympic bronze medallist being on the downhill at the age of just 23 would be a bit pre-mature.

We cannot dismiss the fact that she still maintained her ranking in the top-6 throughout the year and qualified for the year end BWF World Superseries Finals as the second most consistent player after the 12-event Superseries circuit.

I have known Saina or rather covered Saina as a badminton player for almost a decade now and I wasn’t surprised with the way her results went this year.

The knee injuries and then an ankle injury definitely did not help her cause. For Saina to feel confident about her own abilities and challenge herself to achieve any goal, it is imperative that she feels good about her fitness levels.

But the only time one saw Saina happy with herself and her fitness levels was during the inaugural Indian Badminton League.

The Saina vs PV Sindhu debate, triggered after the latter’s World Championship bronze, proved to be just the added incentive the Commonwealth Games gold medallist needed and she asserted her superiority by remaining the only unbeaten player in the tournament.

The swagger had returned and she even privately admitted to some that she wanted to prove that she was still the best.

Saina hasn’t claimed that status by virtue of her silken touch or exceptional talent but with a never-say-die attitude. She is a player who loves to challenge herself rather than her opponent to prove a point.

Ever since she lost to Indonesia’s Maria Kristin Yulianti in the quarterfinals of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Saina was driven by just one goal of standing on the podium in London and once that goal was achieved there was bound to be a drop in intensity and focus in the immediate future.

A similar phenomenon happened immediately after the 2010 Commonwealth Games and culminated in a breakdown of ties with her mentor and coach Pullela Gopichand for a brief period in 2011.

Even then injuries began to hamper her movement and training and it was only by March-April 2012 that the country’s biggest non-cricketing sportstar began making a statement of intent.

Though Saina’s results in the Superseries Finals wasn’t something to crow about, the fighting spirit she showed against Yeon Ju Bae of Korea to ensure that she does not return from Kuala Lumpur without a win reminded many of the Saina of 2010 and 2012.

Unlike 2013, Saina has a definite target of defending her Commonwealth crown and also win a medal in the Asian Games.

Build up for these tournaments has started with some intense training sessions for the last few weeks and the intensity will only increase and we should witness a more focused Saina when she begins her 2014 campaign next month.

Niggles and aches are part and parcel of a player’s life but if she manages to avoid any major injury, Saina should add to her trophy cabinet handsomely next year.