adminton star Saina Nehwal has once again ignited a social media debate following her recent podcast appearance. The Olympic medallist’s remarks about fellow athletes and sports have led to a surge of online trolls and memes. In the podcast, Saina candidly admitted that she was unaware of javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra until he won gold at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
Her admission was met with a mix of surprise and criticism. While some viewed it as a frank acknowledgement, others, including Chopra's fans, reacted harshly. Saina was even labelled the “Kangana Ranaut of Sports” by some netizens, referring to the Bollywood actress known for her controversial statements.
Saina responded to the backlash with characteristic fortitude. On X (formerly Twitter), she addressed the criticism by defending her achievements and acknowledging Chopra’s impact. “Thanks for the compliment.
.. Kangana is beautiful.
..but I had to be perfect in my sport and I proudly achieved world number 1 and an Olympic medal in badminton for my country,” she wrote.
“Again, I will say this: sitting at home and commenting is easy, but playing sports isn’t.” The former world number one also used the platform to praise Neeraj Chopra as a superstar who has popularised javelin throw in India. In the same podcast, Saina’s comments on cricket, particularly regarding fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, stirred further controversy.
Saina claimed that cricket is riskier than badminton, and suggested that the c.