The dope test failures of Narsingh Yadav and Inderjeet Singh may have tarnished the mood in the Indian camp ahead of Rio Olympics 2016. But on the other hand, one of India’s top medal hopes Saina Nehwal seems to have stepped up her training regimes to an all new level.
The Badminton Association of India posted a video of Saina Nehwal’s practice session where she is seen competing against four players on the other side of the net. Watch Saina go through the rigorous training exercise in the video below.
Saina Nehwal, who recently won the Australian Open Grand Prix Gold, looks in really good shape as she doesn’t miss a single shot in the forty second video.
The timing of the Australian Open win delighted Saina and it couldn’t have come at a better time for her. “The victory in Australia came at just the right time. I was really looking forward for some change and nothing boosts confidence like winning. I needed a win to keep believing that I am on the right track,” the 26-year-old told PTI.
The Indian shuttler said she is working hard ahead of the Rio Games and sessions like these will only help. “I am working hard on my half smashes to get closer to my goals. It is wonderful to win Australian Open prior to the Olympics. It is very satisfying to beat two world champions and a junior world champion in one tournament,” added the girl from Hyderabad who won bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics said.
Here is a tweet from the BAI with a video of the glorious moment
#ThrowbackThursday WATCH @NSaina winning the coveted #Olympic Bronze in London! https://t.co/RdLSvOgfea#SmashKartaJa in #Rio2016!
— BAI Media (@BAI_Media) July 21, 2016
Saina is determined to turn that bronze into a gold at the 2016 Olympics and believes she has the ability to beat anyone on the day she is fully fit. “Coming with an experience, I feel that on the day that I am 100 per cent fit, I have the potential to defeat anyone. I do not feel too much pressure. The moment you are on the court nothing else matters,” Saina told IANS.
The Badminton Association of India on Monday posted a video compilation of Saina’s quest for an Olympic gold with bits from her best performances in the recent past and training excercises.
.@NSaina brought glory to our nation last time around and is all set for #Rio2016! #SmashKartaJa and go for GOLD! pic.twitter.com/uZ87KtaCZa
— BAI Media (@BAI_Media) July 25, 2016
With Narsingh likely to miss out on a berth at the Rio Olympics, the onus on Saina to win a medal at the Olympics only increases. Whether she manages to win one or not, its evident from her training video that she left no stone unturned.
With inputs from agencies