India needs time to build champions: Saina Nehwal

Two years after stepping away from the circuit, Saina Nehwal remains one of Indian badminton’s most influential voices. The former World No. 1 and Olympic bronze medallist opens up about the sport with the clarity of a champion.

In conversation with The Bridge on the sidelines of The Legends Vision Legacy Tour India, Saina assesses Indian badminton’s trajectory, the road to becoming a sporting powerhouse, and what it takes to build world-class athletes. 

She also shared her experience judging Miss Universe 2025 and finding her rhythm in life after retirement.

Key excerpts:

Saina in a badminton kit or Saina in a designer dress?

Badminton will always be my first love; I can never stay away from it. My mind will always choose badminton, but the girl in me enjoys trying different dresses and feeling good sometimes. Recently, judging the Miss Universe title was a huge experience; it allowed me to see the other side of the world. But badminton is number one, always.

Representing India on the global stage and your experience judging Miss Universe 2025?

It was a completely different feeling. I never imagined myself judging Miss Universe. But I thought, “Let me go and see how this world looks from the inside.” From the outside, it seems easy, but the preparation, rehearsals, and discipline are extremely tough. I used to think a player’s life was difficult, but what they do is equally challenging. Hats off to them for hiding their emotions and still supporting each other.

How would you describe the current chapter, life after retirement?

You want to be in that pressure, stress moment always because you have played matches throughout your career. You have been in the sport for 23 years. You want to be in that zone always. But you know that your body is not going to take it anymore.

I got arthritis, cartilage degenerated completely, and the doctor told me, "You are not a machine, you are a human being". So there came a point where I had to leave the sport because of my knee. The first year was difficult because you want to get up in the morning, go for training, and suddenly you are resting.

But slowly you get used to it. You have to keep yourself busy because life has been busy for so many years. I want to promote the game, inspire young kids and eventually take up coaching later. But at the moment I am relaxed. But it’s not easy to forget those matches. So it’s very important to keep yourself busy with workouts, mental health, meditation, and yoga. 

What do you think of the current crop of Indian players? Are they moving at the right pace?

All are playing extremely well and are really talented. Lakshya (Sen) is extremely talented, but he has to be consistent. Sometimes he is in the finals, sometimes first-round losses; that’s a lot of up and down. Then we have HS Prannoy, Srikanth among the men.

Among the girls, we have Unnati, Anmol, Anupama, and Tanvi. They are all 18-19. Unnati has improved a lot in the last year. I still feel results could have come earlier, but every generation is different. Every body type is different, mental frame is different. Sometimes results come at 13-14, sometimes at 23-24.

Girls need to be a little more powerful, and then the results will come faster. We should wait and watch for another 3-4 years. I feel men’s singles needs improvement; we need 2-3 players in the top 10. In doubles, we have Satwik-Chirag, but we need strong players after them.

When I was playing, there was a group of us, including PV Sindhu, Srikanth, Prannoy, Kashyap, Sai, Guru, and Ajay. We were on the circuit for 10-15 years. We were always there. People expect the next batch to be the same, but we should give them time.

How far is India from becoming a sporting superpower?

India is definitely improving, but till now, I will not say it is a sporting nation. We are targeting the 2036 Olympics. I hope by then we can win many medals.

In badminton, we are close to the powerhouses because our results keep coming. But other sports also need continuous success, wrestling, boxing, shooting, squash, and tennis.

In the next decade, India can become a great sporting nation and compete with China, the USA, and Australia. We have the capability and the talent, so why not in every sport?

What do China and Korea do differently to stay consistently on top?

They have coaches who are consistently world champions, Olympic champions. They just have champions as coaches. Not one or two, there are 30-40 of them. Every small village has big academies. So making champions becomes easier. In our country, we have 1-2 players, 3 players, the day we have 30-40, it will be very easy to get champions.

Athletes today speak openly about mental health. How important is that, and how did you cope with pressure?

You get yourself a mental trainer, that is the first thing you have to do as a player. Mental trainer, trainer, physio will help you on court. These are the things you have to take care of.

I didn’t have any mental trainer, physio or trainer. My mom really helped me believe that I can do it. She was like a mental trainer. Luckily, my body could take that difficult training. Not all bodies can push that hard.

You have to be disciplined. There is no plan B. If you are playing sports, you are in a risky zone, but you should try till you can. Mental training is so important, it is easy to feel distracted. Physically, you can skip two days and do it the next day. But mental training you have to continue every day. After stopping,  you also have to continue it, because life is different. These things make a proper player.

Your comments on The Legends Vision Legacy Tour India?

It’s an initiative by Yonex Sunrise, ‘the racket’s second life’. It’s a great cause. Being with greats like Peter Gade, Taufik Hidayat, Lin Dan and Lee Chong Wei, I am so proud. I can promote the game and make it bigger in India and around the world. If we can donate the racket and reach kids who need it, they will know the game.

Just like cricket grows in the streets, badminton knowledge will grow too. Most talents come from the lower middle class, villages, and small towns. Parents just need to be a little active and strict. Talent is in all kids; parents are the first teachers. This initiative will help many youngsters to know the game.