On the court she has always been a formidable opponent, powerful smashes and the lightening quick feet are unmissable. When she quickly walks into a plush lounge, soon realising that her mother has been left behind, Saina’s body language speaks volumes about the athlete one has been reading about and the urgency in her voice denotes how caring a daughter she is. “Mummy kidhar hai! Please, mummy ko andar leke aaiye, who bahar hee reh jaayegi,” she requests the managers, knowing the fact that the lounge is cordoned off by the security, restricting the gush of fans and the paparazzi desperate to catch a glimpse of the decorated athlete.
Amidst the chaos in the lobby, the mother is escorted in the VIP lounge safely and the relief on Saina’s face is obvious. We are at inauguration of Badminton Pros at Monte South in South Mumbai’s Byculla. Nehwal is glad about the state-of-the-art facility for badminton enthusiasts that she hopes will inspire many to take up the sport.
“When I was growing up, there was no one I could to look up to. There was no Kapil Dev or Sunil Gavaskar of the badminton one could look at for a reference. I got to know Prakash Padukone sir and his achievements much later hala ki Mummy mujhe battai rehti thi Padukone sir ki achievements ke baare mein,” confesses Saina, as she locks eyes across the room with her mother, ensuring that she is fine.
The mother gives the nod of approval. “Nobody looked beyond cricket when I started playing. Today, diffe.