5 Years Ago, Saina Nehwal Created History When She Clinched Bronze At The London Olympics
She won the 3rd place place play off match after her opponent forfeited.
On 4th August, 2012 - exactly five fives ago, Saina Nehwal shot herself in to the Indian sporting parlance earning India its third medal at the 2012 London Olympics, clinching a bronze as her opponent and the then world number two Xin Wang of China conceded the third-place play-off match due to a knee injury after winning the first game. Saina thus became the first Indian badminton player to win a medal at the Olympic Games.
bccl
If becoming the first Indian shuttler to enter the quarter-final in Beijing 2008 opened new gates for Indian badminton, according to Nehwal, in her confession in the book "My Olympic Story" released before the 2016 Rio Olympics, then improving it in London four years later reaffirmed the belief that Indian badminton had indeed come of age.
bccl
Wang was forced off the court with a twisted knee but returned after bandaging it and quickly went up 1-0 in the second game. However, unable to continue due to immense pain, the Chinese shuttler shook hands with Saina to concede the match and the bronze medal. Aged 22, Saina thus became the first Indian badminton player to win a medal at the Olympics.
Also Read: Former World No. 1 Saina Nehwal Clinches Malaysia Masters Title To Start 2017 With A Bang!
"I was disappointed [to lose in the semi-final]. I had gone to London to win the gold. I had a day to compose myself, as I knew I had to return with a medal. I had to show something for all the hard work that I had put in over the last four years.
Also Read: Post Surgery, Saina Nehwal Feels Stronger, Lighter On Court And That¡¯s Great News!
I knew I could beat Wang Xin as I had beaten her in the past," said Saina. "I lost the first game but was still confident of coming through, as it was my eagerness to dominate and be aggressive that had seen me commit unforced errors. I had already noticed that Wang was not moving too well and looked short of full fitness for a match at this level."
bccl
But more than winning the gold, Saina confessed that it was the sight of the Indian flag waving high at the Wembley Stadium which stirred her emotions. From London to Beijing, Saina has won 23 women's singles titles and has reached the pinnacle of the BWF World Rankings on more than one occasion.
The 27-year-old started 2016 in terrific fashion by winning her second Australian Open Super Series. Battling injury, she then reached the semi-finals of the India Open and Malaysia Open and the quarter-finals of the Badminton Asia Championships and Indonesia Open Super Series.
A shock defeat to a lower-ranked opponent during the Rio Games sent her crashing out of the tournament, and this was followed by news that Saina required knee surgery. Not one to succumb to life's challenges, Saina returned to the badminton court and in her first event (the Macau Open) reached the quarters where she was beaten by the World No 222 in a surprise loss.
