saina nehwal biography in english

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Saina Nehwal

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Saina Nehwal (born March 17, 1990, Hisar, Haryana state, India) is the first Indian badminton player to win an Olympic medal. During the 2012 Olympic Games in London , Nehwal captured the women’s singles bronze medal. She has won more than 20 titles internationally and was a recipient of the prestigious Padma Bhushan from the Indian government in 2016.

Nehwal, whose parents were both former professional badminton players, started playing the game in 1998, after moving from her hometown of Hisar to Hyderabad . There her father took her to the Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium to learn the sport. Nani Prasad Rao, a coach at the stadium, noticed Nehwal’s talent and encouraged her family to invest in her future in badminton. Her parents were supportive and made financial sacrifices to ensure that Nehwal would be successful.

In 2004 Nehwal became a nationally recognized junior champion in India’s National Badminton Championship; she won the title again in 2005. That same year Nehwal became an international champion, winning the Asian Satellite Badminton Tournament. She found immense success as an international badminton competitor and won the Philippines Open in 2006. In 2008 she became the national champion of India and the world junior champion. Nehwal also competed at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing , where she reached the women’s singles quarterfinals. The next year, Nehwal won the Indonesia Open, making her the first Indian badminton player to earn a Badminton World Federation (BWF) series title.

In 2010 Nehwal won a gold medal in the women’s singles event at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi . After her earlier stint at the Olympics, Nehwal was determined to make up for her defeat at the 2012 London Olympics. However, leading up to the Games, she developed a fever . Despite not being in peak condition at the tournament, she won the bronze-medal match against Chinese player Wang Xin, who withdrew during the match because of a twisted knee. Nehwal, who had not imagined that her victory would be a result of an opponent’s injury, went across the court to comfort her.

Nehwal was awarded the Padma Shri , one of India’s highest civilian honors, in 2010. Her autobiography, Playing to Win , appeared in 2012. In 2018 Nehwal married her longtime partner and fellow badminton player Parupalli Kashyap.

Saina Nehwal Biography

Birthday: March 17 , 1990 ( Pisces )

Born In: Hisar, Haryana, India

Saina Nehwal is a badminton player from India who is among the world’s top players in women’s badminton and she has won a number of championships. Nehwal lived in Hisar town of Haryana state in India for a few years early in her life but the family relocated to Hyderabad when she was still only a child and it was in the new city that she learned the tricks of the game form some of the best known coaches in the game. Nehwal was a teenage sensation when she won the Under-19 national championships and from then on she went from strength to strength as she developed her game quickly and started winning major trophies in the professional circuit. She became the first Indian badminton player to win a BWF Series event and continued to impress on her way to winning the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2010. However, the most important win of her career was without doubt her bronze medal winning performance at the London Olympics in 2012. She has won a number of awards from the Government of India for her contributions and is without doubt one of India’s leading sportspersons.

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Age: 34 Years , 34 Year Old Females

father: Harvir Singh Nehwal

mother: Usha Nehwal

Born Country: India

Badminton Players Indian Women

Height: 5'5" (165 cm ), 5'5" Females

awards: Padma Shri Padma Bhushan Rajiv gandhi Khel Ratna Award

You wanted to know

What are some key achievements of saina nehwal in her badminton career.

Saina Nehwal is a former world no. 1 and has won numerous titles, including an Olympic bronze medal, multiple Commonwealth Games medals, and multiple BWF Super Series titles.

What training regimen does Saina Nehwal follow to maintain her fitness and performance on the badminton court?

Saina Nehwal follows a rigorous training routine that includes physical conditioning, on-court practice sessions, strength training, agility drills, and strategic match analysis.

How does Saina Nehwal prepare mentally for big tournaments and high-pressure matches?

Saina Nehwal works with sports psychologists and mental conditioning coaches to develop mental resilience, focus, and strategies to handle pressure situations effectively.

What is Saina Nehwal's playing style and strategy on the badminton court?

Saina Nehwal is known for her aggressive style of play, powerful smashes, and quick footwork. She often focuses on exploiting her opponents' weaknesses and dictating the pace of the game.

How has Saina Nehwal inspired young aspiring badminton players in India and around the world?

Saina Nehwal's rise to the top of the badminton world has inspired many young players to pursue the sport professionally, setting an example of hard work, determination, and resilience.

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Saina Nehwal is a huge fan of Bollywood movies and enjoys watching them in her free time.

She has a pet dog named Chopsy, who she considers as an important member of her family.

Saina Nehwal is known for her love of cooking and often experiments with new recipes in her kitchen.

She is an avid reader and enjoys delving into books on a wide range of topics, not just related to sports.

Saina Nehwal is passionate about giving back to society and is actively involved in various charitable initiatives to help those in need.

See the events in life of Saina Nehwal in Chronological Order

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Some Lesser Known Facts About Saina Nehwal

Saina Nehwal (Childhood) with her parents and sister Abu Chandranshu Nehwal

• Her grandmother was not happy at her birth; as she wanted a boy.
• Her parents have also been state-level badminton champions for Haryana.

Saina Nehwal during their younger days

• Saina did her badminton training from the Gopichand Badminton Academy .
• In 2005, she got selected to play in the under-19 national team and became the U-19 national champion in 2006; after winning Asian Satellite Badminton tournament twice.
• Her mother often calls her “Steffi Saina;” as she has been a huge fan of tennis star “Steffi Graff.”
• She has a brown belt in Karate.

Sachin Tendulkar gifted BMW to Saina Nehwal

Saina Nehwal’s autobiography ‘Playing to Win- My Life On and Off Court’

• In October 2016, she was appointed as a member of the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Athletes’ Commission.
• She faced injuries in the year 2016 and 2017, due to which she didn’t play in several tournaments.

Saina Nehwal on the cover of Femina magazine

Saina Nehwal on the set of ‘The Kapil Sharma Show’

• In Hisar, ‘Saina Nehwal Institute of Agricultural Technology, Training & Education’ at ‘Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University’ is named after her.
• She has endorsed numerous famous brands like Vaseline, Fortune Cooking Oil, Emami, Godrej No Marks, Edelweiss Group, Huawei Honor Smartphone, Star Sports, NECC, Indian Overseas Bank, Top Ramen Noodles, Herbalife Nutrition, Yonex,  Iodex, Sahara Group, etc.

Saina Nehwal loves dogs

I draw a lot of inspiration from Narendra sir. I have won medals for the country. I am a very hardworking and I love hardworking persons. I can see Prime Minister Narendra Modi does so much for the country, I want to do something for the country with him.” 

Saina Nehwal Wiki, Height, Age, Husband, Family, Biography & More

Saina Nehwal is an Indian badminton player who has received more than 20 international titles. She is also the first Indian woman to achieve world rank one by the  Badminton World Federation (BWF). By the year 2017, she is the only Indian to win a medal in all three BWF major individual events- the Olympics, the BWF World Junior Championships, and the BWF World Championships. Let’s have a look at her personal and professional life.

Biography/Wiki

Saina Nehwal was born on  17 March 1990 in  Hisar, Haryana, India . Her family currently resides in Hyderabad, India . She is also known by the name Steffi Saina by her mother who is a big fan of the tennis player Steffi Graff . When she was five years old, her family moved from Haryana to Hyderabad because of her father’s job. She started playing badminton to fulfill the dream of her mother who wanted her to become a national level badminton player. She achieved huge success in her badminton career and was honoured with four prestigious awards by the government of India like Arjuna Award in 2009, Padma Shri in 2010, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna in 2010, and Padma Bhushan in 2016. She is looking forward to open a badminton academy in Haryana.

Physical Appearance

She is the most talented, hardworking, and good-looking Indian girl with athletic figure. She is approximately  5′ 6″ tall and weighs around  65 kg . She has brown eyes and black hair .

Family, Caste & Boyfriend

Saina was born in a middle-class Hindu Jat family to  Harvir Singh Nehwal (Scientist) and  Usha Nehwal . Her parents are former badminton champions in Haryana. She has an elder sister, Abu Chandranshu Nehwal , who used to play volleyball.

Saina Nehwal with her family

Saina Nehwal tied the knot with her long-time boyfriend cum badminton player Parupalli Kashyap on  14 December 2018 in Hyderabad .

Saina Nehwal with Parupalli Kashyap

She did her schooling from Campus School, CCS HAU, Hisar ; Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Public School, Hyderabad ; National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD) School, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad ; and  St. Ann’s College for Women, Hyderabad .

Saina Nehwal (Left) with her sister Abu Chandranshu Nehwal (Right)

At the age of 8, Saina Nehwal started playing badminton and got trained in badminton under the guidance of an Indian badminton coach  S. M. Arif . She also received training from  Pullela Gopichand , Nani Prasad Rao , and Vimal Kumar .

Saina Nehwal during their younger days

She made her international debut in 2005 with the  Asian Badminton Satellite tournament. Since then, she won numerous titles as a badminton player both nationally and internationally. In 2016 & 2017, she has suffered from some injuries but recovered soon and won numerous tournaments. During her badminton career, Saina received various medals from the Asian Games, the Asian Championships, the Commonwealth Games, the World Championships, and the Olympics tournaments.

Saina Nehwal during Indonesia Open badminton tournament

Saina Nehwal entered into active politics on 29 January 2020, when she joined the BJP in the mid of the campaigns of the Delhi Assembly elections. After joining the party, Nehwal said,

I draw a lot of inspiration from Narendra sir. I have won medals for the country. I am a very hardworking and I love hardworking persons. I can see Prime Minister Narendra Modi does so much for the country, I want to do something for the country with him.”

Controversy

In January 2022, Saina and Tamil actor Siddharth had a war of words on Twitter over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s security breach in Punjab. Siddharth attracted controversy after he used some derogatory words to reply to Saina Nehwal’s tweet about Prime Minister’s security breach.

Siddharth’s tweet to Saina Nehwal on PM Modi’s security breach in Punjab

Later, Rekha Sharma, the chairperson of the National Commission for Women, demanded action against Siddharth and said that his Twitter account should get banned.

NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma’s tweet about actor Siddharth in which she demanded action against him over his controversial tweet to Saina Nehwal

Following a huge uproar on social media, the actor apologized to Saina Nehwal through a letter that he shared on Twitter on 11 January 2022.

Siddharth’s apology letter to Saina Nehwal

• In 2006, she became the first player to win the Asian Satellite Badminton tournament twice.
• In 2006, she became the first Indian woman and youngest Asian player to win a 4-star Philippines Open tournament.
• In 2008, she became the first Indian to win the World Junior Badminton Championships.
• In 2008, she became the first Indian woman to reach the quarter finals at the Olympic Games.
• In 2009, she became the first Indian to win the title of BWF Super Series.
• In 2010, she became the first Indian woman to reach the semi finals of 2010 All-England Super Series.
• In 2011, she became the first Indian singles player to reach the final of the BWF Super Series Masters Finals.
• In 2014, she became the first Indian woman to win the China Open Super Series Premier.
• In 2015, she became the first Indian woman badminton player to reach the finals of the All England Open Badminton Championships.
• In 2015, she became the first Indian woman badminton player to be ranked world number one in the Badminton World Federation in Women’s Singles.
• In 2018, she became the first Indian woman badminton player to win the Asian badminton medal for India at the Asian Games.

Awards & Achievements

In her badminton career, Saina Nehwal achieved huge success and won numerous titles and awards. Here are some of them:

• Bronze Medal at Commonwealth Games in Melbourne
• Won a four-star badminton Philippines Open tournament at Pasig City, Manila
• Won the Philippines Open Grand Prix

Gold Medal at National Games in Guwahati

• Won the Chinese Taipei Open Grand Prix Gold
• Won the World Junior Badminton Championships tournament in Pune
• Most Promising Player of the Year Award by Badminton World Federation (BWF)
• Won the Indonesia Open tournament at Jakarta

Saina Nehwal received Arjuna Award

• Won the Singapore Open Super Series in Lion City
• Won the Yonex Sunrise Indian Open tournament in Chennai
• Bronze Medal at Asian Badminton Championships in New Delhi
• Won the India Open Grand Prix
• Silver Medal in Mixed Team Event at Commonwealth Games in Delhi
• Gold Medal at Commonwealth Games in Delhi

Saina Nehwal won the Hong Kong Open Badminton Super Series

• Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award
• Padma Shri Award
• Won the Swiss Open tournament in Basel
• Won the Indonesia Super Series in Jakarta

Saina Nehwal won the bronze medal at 2012 London Olympics in Women’s Singles

• Won the Denmark Open Super Series in Odense
• An honorary doctorate degree by Mangalayatan University
• Bronze Medal at Asian Games
• Won the Australian Badminton Open Super Series
• Won the China Super Series Premier
• Won the India Super Series in New Delhi
• Silver Medal at World Championships in Jakarta

Saina Nehwal won the 2016 Australian Badminton Open Super Series

Saina Nehwal received an honorary doctorate degree in literature by SRM University

Saina Nehwal received Padma Bhushan Award

• Won the Malaysia Masters tournament
• Bronze Medal at World Badminton Championships in Glasgow
• Gold Medal at Commonwealth Games in Women’s Singles

Saina Nehwal won Gold Medal in badminton mixed team event at 2018 Commonwealth Games

• Bronze Medal at Asian Badminton Championships
• Saina Nehwal has a brown belt in Karate.

Sachin Tendulkar gifted BMW to Saina Nehwal

• She is a huge fan of  Roger Federer and Sachin Tendulkar .
• She is a philanthropist and was ranked 18th on the most charitable athletes’ list.
• Saina Nehwal is also a member of the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Athletes Commission.
• She has endorsed various popular brands like  Edelweiss Group , Fortune Cooking Oil , Emami , Vaseline , Godrej No Marks , Huawei Honor Smartphone , Star Sports , NECC , Indian Overseas Bank , Herbalife Nutrition , Yonex , Iodex , Sahara Group , Top Ramen Noodles , etc.

Saina Nehwal’s autobiography ‘Playing to Win- My Life On and Off Court’

• In the same year, Saina signed a deal of endorsement worth ₹400 million with the famous sports management company Rhiti Sports but in 2013, she ended the deal with this company and signed with  KWAN Entertainment & Marketing Solutions .
• She made her guest appearance on several famous TV shows like  Satyamev Jayate , Comedy Nights with Kapil , and The Kapil Sharma Show .

Saina Nehwal on the cover of Women’s Health magazine

• A Not for Profit company  Olympic Gold Quest supported her.

Saina Nehwal Institute of Agricultural Technology, Training & Education

• Shah Rukh Khan and Mahesh Babu are her all-time favourite actors.
• Saina Nehwal loves travelling and  Singapore is her favourite destination.
• She likes to eat  Kiwi and Aloo Paratha .

Saina Nehwal loves dogs

Saina Nehwal and Parupalli Kashyap with the Mercedes-Benz AMG GLE 53

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What It Takes To Make A Badminton Superstar: The Heroes Behind Saina Nehwal

From rigorous coaching to financial sacrifices these people helped shape Saina Nehwal into the badminton champion that we know today.

G rowing up, it was a tradition, of sorts, for the children in the neighbourhood to meet up after school in the bylanes with their rackets and shuttlecocks to play a game of badminton. Ever so often, the achievements of badminton star Saina Nehwal—who had become a flag-bearer of women’s badminton in India—crept into conversation.

Saina became the first-ever Indian badminton player to win an Olympic medal in 2012 and became an icon for millions of fans of the game. She is also the first female Indian player to achieve the feat of ranking first in the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Tour and has 24 international titles to her name. Throughout her journey, she had the support of her family, her coaches and her husband.

So, here’s a list of the unsung heroes who helped make Saina India’s badminton superstar.

Saina’s mother, Usha Rani was a state-level badminton player in Haryana, too. As a child, she would watch her mother play. By the age of 8, she took up badminton to fulfill her mother’s dream of becoming a national level badminton player. Saina credits her success to her mother who has supported her from the very beginning.

“More than my dad, she is my main force and keeps me going with her constant motivational talks and encouragement. You need someone who you can confide in. For me, it’s my mother. I tell her everything, starting from what is making me happy or bothering me. I’ve all my emotional talks with her, I am closest to her,” Nehwal said in an interview with Hindustan Times.

Dr Harvir Singh Nehwal

Dr Harvir Singh Nehwal , Saina’s father is an agricultural scientist at the Directorate of Oilseeds Research, Hyderabad. During his studies at university, her father played badminton and was among the top players.

In 1998, after moving from Hissar, Haryana to Hyderabad, he took Saina to the Lal Bahadur Stadium in Hyderabad. It was then that Nani Prasad Rao, the badminton coach, saw her potential and convinced her father to enroll her in formal coaching. Every morning, Dr Singh would take Saina for coaching to the stadium, which was 20 kms away from their house. After her coaching sessions, he would drop her to school on the way to office. In order to purchase good quality equipment for Saina, her father would withdraw money from his savings and even his provident fund until 2002 when she first received sponsorship. Evidently, he made a number of sacrifices so that she could fulfil her dreams.

The coaches

Saina was mentored by a number of coaches who helped perfect her skills over the years.

Her first coach was Nani Prasad Rao who had first spotted her talent at the Lal Bahadur Stadium. At the time, he was the badminton coach of the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP). He selected Saina from a group of 250-odd kids. He coached her through her formative years when she was being recognised in the state-level badminton circuit. When he was transferred from Hyderabad to Vijayawada he was keen for her to join the academy there but her parents declined.

It was then that Saina came under the wing of S M Arif , the chief coach at the stadium. He was awarded the Dronacharya Award and known for training stalwarts such as Pullela Gopichand, Chetan Anand and Jwala Gutta.

Arif had realised Saina was better than the competition in the junior circuit and encouraged her to play in a senior tournament to get exposure to tougher competition.

“Saina was prepared to follow whatever she was told. She would never shy away from hard work and was always ready to push herself. She literally pushed her body to the limits while training. That is when I realised that she is a special talent and will go a long way,” Arif said in an interview .

She trained under Arif till 2005 when he retired as coach from the Sports Authority of India. She was then trained by Pullela Gopichand , who has been trained by Arif as well. Her training was rigorous under Gopichand and in 2012 she won the bronze medal in the London Olympics.

In 2014, she began training with Vimal Kumar , who played an instrumental role in her training after the Olympics. Under his coaching, Saina went on to become ranking first in women’s singles and win a silver at the World Championship in 2015.

Parupalli Kashyap

Parupalli Kashyap , Saina’s husband, has carved out a name for himself in badminton. He first rose to prominence when he won a bronze at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. In 2012, he then became the first male shuttler from India to reach the quarter-final at the London Olympics.

He and Saina knew each other from a camp in 1997 and in 2002 they began training together in Hyderabad. Soon, Kashyap began training Saina and has stood by her side ever since. In 2018, Saina went on to win the bronze at the Asian Games under her husband’s coaching.

“When I was training her and sitting for her matches, I also wanted to play the tournament. That helped me come back. I was motivated to train again and everything fell in place. Coaching her helped me and it helped her,” Kashyap said in an interview.

Saina’s journey in becoming one of the top Indian women badminton players has been a result of those who influenced her at different stages of her life. It is with their encouragement and help that she has gone on to win not only trophies and medals but also millions of hearts.

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Pause, rewind, play: How Saina became the first Indian female badminton star to be ranked world No 1

Saina nehwal first reached the world no 2 ranking in 2009 but it took her six more years to be ranked as the best in the world..

Saina Nehwal had expressed her ambition of becoming a World No 1 way back when she was just starting to make waves in the senior circuit. Though she came close a couple of times, rising to the No 2 spot, the pole position always eluded her thanks to the Chinese domination of women’s singles in the first half of the 2010 decade.

Nehwal was world No 2 for almost six months from January to June 2013 on the back of a fine 2012 performance that saw her win the London Olympics bronze medal and the Indonesia and Denmark Superseries Premier crowns apart from the Swiss and Thailand Open Grand Prix. She had also reached the French Open final in that year.

But a dip in form in the second half of 2013 coupled with unhappiness about the way things were going at the Gopichand Academy made Saina wonder whether her career was coming to an abrupt end. She had slipped to world no 9 spot by end of the year and though she went on to win the Australian Open in August 2014, she decided to move to Bengaluru and train under Vimal Kumar after failing to win a medal at the World Championship.

Nehwal failed to win an individual medal at the 2014 Asian Games but there was enough evidence that the spark in her game was back. She went on to win the China Open Superseries Premier in November.

She then reached her first All England Open final in 2015 to jump back to the world No 2 spot. But with Li Xuerei and defending champion Shixian Wang not playing the India Open in the last week of March, both Nehwal and Carolina Marin had a chance to take the top spot. The Spaniard had to win the tournament to go on top.

Nehwal raced through to the semi-finals while in the lower half of the draw, Marin was stretched to three games in the quarter-finals by Nozomi Okuhara. But in the last four round, Ratchanok Intanon stunned the second seed with a hard-fought 19-21, 23-21, 22-20 win over the Spaniard and the Indian ensured the No 1 spot with another straight-games win over Japan’s Yui Hashimoto.

The 2012 London Olympics bronze medallist celebrated her ascent with her first India Open title without dropping a game with 21-16, 21-14 win over Intanon.

When the rankings were officially updated on April 2, Saina had become the first non-Chinese to claim the top spot since Tine Baun had occupied that position in 2010 and ended Xuerui’s reign at the summit since Dec 27, 2012.

Nehwal and Xuerui alternately held the top spot till Marin pipped both of them to the top spot in the second week of June that year.

Here are the two interviews in which Saina spoke of her ambitions of becoming a world No 1 when she was 18 and then what she felt after achieving that feat.

• Badminton World Federation
• Saina Nehwal

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• General Knowledge /

Biography of Saina Nehwal: Life, Career, Achievements & More

• Updated on  
• Aug 2, 2024

Saina Nehwal’s journey from a young girl with a dream to the top of the badminton world is an inspiring tale of dedication and perseverance. Rising to World No. 1 in 2015, she is the first Indian woman to achieve this remarkable feat and the only female player from India to win an international Olympic medal in badminton. This blog will delve into the biography of Saina Nehwal covering her career milestones, achievements and personal life.

Table of Contents

• 1 Saina Nehwal Biography
• 2.1 Coach of Saina Nehwal
• 3.1 Saina Nehwal’s Ranking Progression
• 4 Achievements and Honours
• 5 Legacy of Saina Nehwal

Saina Nehwal Biography

Here is the overview of Saina Nehwal’s life and achievements – 

Saina Nehwal Life and Education

Saina Nehwal was born on March 17, 1990, in Hisar, Haryana. She was born to Harvir Singh Nehwal, a professor at the Maharaja Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, and Usha Rani Nehwal, a former state-level badminton player.

• The family later moved to Hyderabad, where Saina’s badminton journey began.
• Saina attended various schools in both Haryana and Hyderabad and completed her pre-university education at St. Ann’s College for Women in Hyderabad. 
• Her initial badminton training was under Nani Prasad, followed by guidance from S. M. Arif, an award-winning badminton coach.
• Saina Nehwal later married fellow badminton player Parupalli Kashyap on December 14, 2018, in a private ceremony. 
• The couple’s shared passion for badminton strengthens their bond both on and off the court.

Coach of Saina Nehwal

Saina’s initial training was at Pullela Gopichand’s academy. 

• She later joined Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy in Bangalore, where she trained under U. Vimal Kumar and achieved her World No. 1 ranking in 2015.
• However, in 2017, she returned to train with Gopichand.

Also Read – PT Usha: Education, Records, Awards & More

Saina Nehwal’s Career beginnings

Saina Nehwal’s badminton journey began at the age of eight. Motivated by her mother’s dream of seeing her as a state-level player and her desire to socialise in a new city, she took up the sport with great enthusiasm.

• In 2006, Saina won the Under-19 National Championships and became the first player to win the Asian Satellite Badminton tournament twice.
• She made headlines by winning the Philippines Open at the age of 16, becoming the first Indian woman and youngest player from Asia to win a 4-star tournament.
• Nehwal joined the international badminton scene, competing in big events like the World Junior Championships, Asian Games, and World Championships.
• In 2008, she won the World Junior Badminton Championships, making her the first Indian to do so. 
• She also won the Chinese Taipei Open and was recognized as ‘The Most Promising Player’ by the BWF. 
• In 2009, she won the Indonesian Open, becoming the first Indian to win a BWF Super Series title and the India Grand Prix tournament.

Here is the timeline of her career – 

Saina Nehwal’s Ranking Progression

Saina was ranked as the No.1 player in 2015. Her ranking currently is in the top 100 – 

Also Read – Biography Of Kapil Dev: Life, Awards & More

Achievements and Honours

Saina Nehwal has many titles and awards fitted on her success hat. She has won over 24 international titles, including 11 Super Series titles. Her honours and awards include:

Also Read – Biography of Sachin Tendulkar: Life, Achievements, Awards and Retirement

Legacy of Saina Nehwal

Saina Nehwal’s autobiography, “Playing to Win: My Life On and Off Court,” was published in 2012. 

• Additionally, in 2021, a biopic titled “Saina,” directed by Amol Gupte, brought her life story to the big screen, with Parineeti Chopra portraying the lead role.
• Her legacy continues to be honoured, with the Saina Nehwal Institute of Agricultural Technology, Training & Education at Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University bearing her name.

Relevant Blogs

This was all about the Biography of Saina Nehwal. If you want to know more about other Famous Personalities then visit our General Knowledge page! 

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Saina Nehwal

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(born 1990). At the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England, Indian badminton player Saina Nehwal captured the women’s singles bronze medal. She was the first badminton player from India to win an Olympic medal.

Nehwal was born on March 17, 1990, in Hisar, Haryana state, India. Her parents, both former badminton players, introduced her to the sport, and by 2004 she had become a national junior champion. She soon found success as an international badminton competitor, winning the Philippines Open in 2006. In 2008 she became the national champion of India and the world junior champion. Nehwal also competed at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, where she reached the women’s singles quarterfinals.

In 2010 Nehwal won a gold medal in the women’s singles event at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, India. At the London Olympics two years later, she lost to Wang Yihan of China in the semifinal round but then went on to win the bronze-medal match against another Chinese player, Wang Xin, who withdrew during the match due to injury.

Nehwal was awarded the Padma Shri, one of India’s highest civilian honors, in 2010. Her autobiography, Playing to Win , appeared in 2012.

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Saina Nehwal

Saina Nehwal, born on March 17, 1990, in India, is a renowned badminton player. Nehwal's journey in badminton began at a young age, and she quickly rose to prominence with her exceptional skills. She became the first Indian woman to win a medal in badminton at the Olympics when she clinched bronze at the 2012 London Games. Throughout her career, Nehwal has won numerous championships, including the World Championships and Commonwealth Games. Her determination and perseverance have inspired many aspiring athletes in India and around the world. Off the court, she remains a role model, known for her philanthropy and advocacy.

Here are some of her career achievements:

• Bagged gold medals at the Commonwealth Games of 2018 in women's singles and mixed team events 
• Earned a bronze medal at the IBF World Championships of 2017 in women's singles event 
• Two bronze medals in women's singles at the Asian Championships, held in 2010 in New Delhi and 2016 in Wuhan
• Received the third highest civilian award 'Padma Bhushan' in 2016
• Bronze medal in women's singles at the London Olympics in 2012
• Gold medal in women's singles at the Commonwealth Games, held in New Delhi in 2010
• Gold medal in Girl's singles at the World Junior Championships, held in Pune in 2008
• Honoured with the title of 'Padma Shri' in 2010
• Bestowed with Arjuna Award by the Government of India in 2009
• Bestowed with Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna in 2010
• Gold medal in Girl's singles at the Commonwealth Youth Games, held in Pune in 2008
• Entitled as the 'Most Promising Player of the Year' in 2008 by Badminton World Federation

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14 interesting facts about Saina Nehwal, the ace shuttler who inspired a generation

Friday March 17, 2017 , 3 min Read

One of the most talented sportspersons and the only female player from India to attain the world number one ranking, Saina Nehwal has many other firsts to her credit. She was the first Indian badminton player to win a medal at the Olympics and also the first Indian female and youngest Asian athlete to win a four-star tournament. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

With badminton growing increasingly popular in India, Saina Nehwal continues to inspire an entire generation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi rightly called her “the darling daughter of India”. As she turns 27 today, here are a few interesting facts about this badminton sensation:

• Before taking up badminton, Saina was a champion in karate, in which she holds a brown belt.
• She has won a total of four medals in the Commonwealth Games – one gold and three bronze.
• Her parents, Harvir Singh and Usha Nehwal, were also state badminton champions in Haryana.
• Saina holds 21 international titles.
• She was one of the eight brand ambassadors at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, which took place in New Delhi.
• She celebrates every win by indulging in ice cream.
• At one point in her career, Saina was the highest paid badminton player in the world, with endorsement deals worth more than a million dollars annually.
• Her elder sister, Anshu Nehwal, is a model.
• She received the Arjuna Award in 2009, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award in 2010, and the Padma Shri in 2010.
• Her father, Harvir Singh, had to sacrifice a lot to give her the kind of training she received. He didn’t have enough money but always managed to procure it either by borrowing or taking a loan. As a result, Saina never fell short of money.
• She is the first woman badminton player to win the Asian Satellite Badminton Tournament twice.
• She has been coached by the most prolific badminton players of the country. When she began her career, she was coached by the Dronacharya Award winner SM Arif. Later, she was coached by the current Chief National Coach for the Indian badminton team, Pullela Gopichand , until 2014. Currently, she is being trained by former badminton champion and national coach, U Vimal Kumar.
• Saina Nehwal also represents her city, Hyderabad, in the Indian Badminton League.
• She wrote her autobiography, Playing to Win , to inspire people to develop an interest in sports.

Saina Nehwal’s success has taken badminton to greater heights and has inspired several girls to consider taking up the sport professionally. This could, by far, be one of her biggest contributions to the sport as well as our country.

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Saina NEHWAL

Saina Nehwal is the first-ever badminton player from India to clinch an Olympic medal. The Indian shuttler created history when she won the bronze medal at the London 2012 Games.

The Haryana shuttler started turning heads very early on in her career when she won the BWF World Junior Championships in 2008. The same year she made her first Olympics appearance in Beijing, but it was only at London 2012 that she gained worldwide fame.

Born on 17th March 1990, Saina Nehwal started playing badminton at the age of eight after her family moved from Haryana to Hyderabad. Her initiation into the game was primarily because she didn’t know the local language well and she wanted to further the dream of her mother, who was a state-level badminton player herself. The Indian shuttler successfully did that by representing India at the highest level in 2008 at the Beijing Olympics.

En route to becoming the first Indian woman to reach the last eight of Olympic quarter-finals, a young Saina Nehwal defeated the then world number five Wang Chen of Hong Kong before losing to Indonesia's Maria Kristin Yulianti in the quarter-finals of Beijing 2008.

The promise that a 20-year-old Saina Nehwal showed was hugely applauded back home as she was conferred with the Arjuna award in 2009 and the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award in 2010.

Nehwal's confidence was now flourishing as she began to establish herself on the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Tour. On the back of her Beijing 2008 experience, titles began to fall her way.

Her first was at the Indonesian Open in 2009 when she became the first Indian ever to win a BWF Super Series event.

More success quickly followed, as she won the India Open, the Singapore Open and defended her Indonesian Open crown in 2010.

That year also saw a very special Commonwealth Games gold, as Nehwal fought back from match point down against Malaysia's Wong Mew Choo to reach the top of the podium in New Delhi.

Under the tutelage of legendary coach Pullela Gopichand, a 22-year-old Saina Nehwal then wrote a new chapter in Indian badminton at the London 2012 Olympics.

Seeded fourth for the Games, Nehwal beat Netherlands’ Jie Yao and Denmark’s Tine Baun to reach the semi-finals.

However, her top-seeded opponent in the last four was China's Wang Yihan, who completed a straight games win.

That set up a play-off against another Chinese opponent, Wang Xin, for the bronze medal. Their encounter though would be a curtailed one as Wang was forced to retire through injury at the start of the second game. Saina Nehwal had secured India's first Olympic badminton medal.

Returning home a hero, Nehwal's burgeoning reputation was enhanced over the coming years as she went on to win the Australian Open twice, the India Open and the China Open over the next three years.

By now, there was another Indian player on the BWF women's singles tour as PV Sindhu began to make a name for herself - Nehwal defeating her in the final of the 2014 India Open in their first ever meeting.

Nehwal also began working with a new coach, as Vimal Kumar stepped in and helped guide her to a new career landmark.

In April 2015, Nehwal became the number one ranked player in the world, the first ever Indian to have reached the top spot.

She also reached the final of the prestigious All England Open, losing to Spain's Olympic champion Carolina Marin.

From that point, Nehwal would suffer a dip in form and a series of niggling injuries, but after teaming up with old coach Pullela Gopichand once again there was cause for further celebration.

At the Commonwealth Games in 2018, Nehwal defeated PV Sindhu in the gold medal match to claim her second title, eight years after her first.

Added to this later in the year was an Asian Games bronze, losing at the semi final stage to eventual champion Tai Tzu-ying.

The same year saw a huge development on the personal front too, as Nehwal married fellow badminton player Parupalli Kashyap in a private ceremony in Hyderabad.

Troubled by illness and injury for a few years, Saina Nehwal was unable to qualify for the Tokyo Games but nevertheless boasts an incredible array of accomplishments.

In her 12-year-long badminton career, Saina Nehwal has won over 24 international titles, eleven of which are Superseries titles.

She is also the only Indian to have won at least one medal in every BWF major - the World Championships, the World Junior Championships - and that most precious bronze medal at the Olympics.

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