Saina Nehwal Exclusive: ‘Those goosebumps will never fade’ — 2012 Olympic glory and an emotional goodbye

NEW DELHI: "Super Saina, Saina vs China (laughs), Badminton Queen — ye sabb naam mere saath hamesha rahenge. Bahot pyaar mila mujhe [These are names that will always stay with me. I have received so much love],” an emotional Saina Nehwal said as she sat quietly, reliving the unforgettable glory of 2012, the year she gave India its first-ever Olympic medal in badminton. Tears welled up in her eyes, but as she looked back at the journey, there was only gratitude. “Thank you for everything,” she said softly.

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Saina, who has been battling a chronic knee condition, has been away from competitive badminton for the last two years. She last appeared in a competitive match at the Singapore Open in 2023 but had not officially announced her retirement until now, but it changed on Monday as she brought the curtains down on one of Indian sport’s most iconic careers.



“When your body gives up and no longer allows you to play, you have no option but to stop. At the highest level, you can’t keep pushing if your body isn’t okay. I met the doctor as well, and he told me it would be very difficult to compete at that level after the degeneration in my knee — the cartilage is completely gone. When you have played at the top for so many years and your body finally gives up, it is tough. But that’s the life of a sportsperson,” Saina told TimesofIndia.com in an exclusive interview.

“At some point, we all have to accept it. I am emotional at the moment. It’s very hard to say goodbye to something that is so close to your heart,” she said.

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“It’s actually hurting me today because I can finally look back and relive everything — the tournaments, the wins, the losses, all those moments. Everything feels fresh right now. Until a few hours ago, life was going on normally and everything felt okay. But today, it really hit me that it’s over. That’s the life of a sportsperson — you have to be strong and move forward,” she added.

Saina suffered a career-threatening knee injury at the Rio 2016 Olympics, but she showed remarkable resilience by making a strong comeback in 2017, winning a bronze medal at the World Championships. Her success continued in 2018, a memorable year in her career. She clinched the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, followed by a bronze at the Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang. She also added another bronze to her collection at the Asian Championships in Wuhan the same year.

As she draws the curtain on her illustrious career, Saina says she is most grateful for her Olympic medal. The bronze she won in the women’s singles at the London Games in 2012 remains the defining moment of her journey, making her the first Indian to win an Olympic medal in badminton.


“What I achieved felt almost impossible. Before that, I never imagined we could even beat Chinese players or teams like Korea and Japan. Even getting past the first or second round felt unbelievable at the time. I had never seen any Indian player before me consistently winning at the highest level, playing finals or semifinals, or beating top players back-to-back. I didn’t have any role models — there was no Saina or Sindhu around when I started, no one I could look up to and say it was possible. It was my coach from Patiala, Govardhan sir, and my mother who made me believe that I could become an Olympic medallist,” Saina said.

“Kashyap has also played a huge role since childhood. He travelled with me for so many years and always made me believe, especially during tough times, that I was capable. Later, Gopi sir came in, and there were a few other players and coaches who constantly motivated me and told me I could do it. I didn’t have any big player to look up to and think that an Olympic medal, a World Junior Championship, an Indonesia Open title or becoming world number two was possible for Indian badminton,” she added.

“For me, it was truly a dream come true. Coming from Haryana, shifting to Hyderabad, starting out just playing for fun and then somehow reaching the top level of world badminton — I still don’t know how it all happened. It was never my target or even my dream. It was my mother’s dream, and I’m happy that I could fulfil it,” she said.

“Goosebumps? Yes, I still feel that,” Saina said, as she recalled standing on the podium with her medal at the historic Wembley Arena in London.

Saina clinched the bronze medal at the London Olympics after her opponent, Wang Xin, was forced to retire injured during the bronze medal match.

“When I was standing on the podium alongside two Chinese players, I could sense that they were expecting another Chinese player to be there instead of me. They were looking at me. It felt like they were wondering how I had ended up on that podium. At that moment, I saw the faces of Gopi sir, Kashyap, Kiran sir and my physio, and I remember thanking God that they were there,” Saina said with a laugh.

“Until then, I hadn’t fully realised what I had achieved. They were all crying, and I still couldn’t believe what was happening. But when I looked into their eyes, I understood that something truly big had happened — and that’s when it really sank in,” she added.

“As the Indian flag went up and the national anthem played, the stands in London were full of Indian supporters cheering proudly. That moment was incredibly special. Even today, I can feel it as if it happened yesterday. Every athlete dreams of winning an Olympic medal, and I feel fortunate to have achieved it. That medal and those memories will stay with me for the rest of my life,” the shuttler said.

OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL IN BADMINTON
India have won a total of 10 Olympic gold medals so far — eight in hockey, one in shooting through Abhinav Bindra, and one in athletics via Neeraj Chopra’s javelin throw.

The big question now is: can India add badminton to that gold-medal list?

So far, Indian badminton has delivered three Olympic medals.

Saina opened the account with a historic bronze at the London Olympics in 2012, becoming the first Indian to win an Olympic medal in the sport. PV Sindhu then took Indian badminton to greater heights, winning silver at the Rio Olympics in 2016 and following it up with a bronze at the Tokyo Games.

For Saina, an elusive Olympic gold in badminton no longer feels like a distant dream for India.

"It’s definitely possible — 100 per cent possible,” Saina said. “It could happen at the 2028 Olympics or the 2032 Olympics. We have men’s doubles pairs who can win a gold medal. We have Lakshya Sen, who can win gold. PV Sindhu is still doing well, and she can also achieve it. And it’s not just badminton. In shooting, we have Manu Bhaker. Cricket is also coming into the Olympics, so I believe gold can come there as well. Overall, we have strong chances of winning multiple gold medals across different sports," Saina said.

Saina signed off thanking her fans.

“They’re still very upset. They keep writing to me, and honestly, I still can’t believe it myself,” she said. “But it’s their love that makes me happy. I’ll always be there in their memories, and I hope many young girls look up to me.

“I look up to all the top athletes, and I truly believe that in the future we will have many more champions winning Olympic medals. That is a very clear dream for Indian sport — and it will remain my dream too, that we continue to grow across all sports and achieve great heights,” the badminton queen said.


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