Badminton Queen of India Saina Nehwal Read Free

started. In fact, she crammed the entire year’s portions within those twenty five days! Poor girl!
    One of the worst moments during tenth standard exams were her cramming sessions during social studies paper. It was really tough and she couldn’t do it all on her own. So Dr. Harvir Singh and Usha Nehwal supported her. They helped her understand the lessons. The paper was more than a nightmare. Since, Dr. Harvir Singh knew the condition of his daughter, he accompanied her to the school and waited until Saina finished the paper.
    Finally, the girl came out of the examination hall. Dr. Singh couldn’t wait to know how his daughter fared in the exams. He asked Saina to narrate the answers she wrote for the paper. But Dr. Harvir Singh was shocked. He told Saina that she will fail.
    The entire family waited for the results. This was a difficult moment for everyone. But all’s well that ends well. Finally, the results were out and Saina passed her exams with an aggregate of 65 percent. And Dr. Harvir Singh was surprised to know that his daughter scored 75 percent in social studies, highest in any subject!
    The 10th standard results were a huge relief for Saina. She was happy to overcome all hurdles and pass the examination with a decent score.
    Saina was 15 years old now, crucial period in any individual’s life! This is the time when one decides about future and career options. Saina had no confusion in her mind. The goal was crystal clear. She wanted to become a professional badminton player. Her motive was to make her country proud.
    In 2003, Saina played eighteen tournaments at national level:
    •    Under-16 Singles and doubles
    •    Under-19 Singles and doubles
    •    Czech Junior Open
    Saina won 16 tournaments and was the runner up for two of the tournaments.
    Finally, Saina disclosed her secret ambition to Dr. Harvir Singh who wasn’t really convinced with the idea. Of course, he was confident about Saina’s spirits, skills and willpower. But he wasn’t really convinced about the scope for an immensely talented player like Saina in India. She was consistently beating op players and winning tournaments. Moreover, Dr. Harvir Singh wasn’t sure of the better choice – a doctor or badminton player.
    Soon Saina enrolled into class 11th at St. Ann’s School. Her subjects were – Chemistry, Civics, and Economics. But the girl faced many troubles attending school during this phase of her life. Her practice sessions got more rigorous and stringent. She had to devote a lot of time and energy to be able to cope with studies.
    By the time, she passed her 11th standard exams, Dr. Harvir Singh was convinced that his daughter will play badminton professionally. This way, badminton was etched into Saina’s future.
    In 2004, Saina started playing at international level. The busy schedule left her with very little time to play in India. However, as an ardent player, she managed to play the Under-19 Junior Championships and walked away with victories in the singles and doubles titles.
    One of the major achievements in Saina’s life arrived in the year 2005. She equalled ace badminton player Prakash Padukone’s record in the following tournaments:
    •    Under-16
    •    Under-19
    •    Senior Nationals
    •    India International Satellite
    In the year 2006, Saina travelled all the way to the Philippine Open. This was the tournament that began with a gold for her. Unfortunately, the dates of the tournament coincided with that of her exams. Saina chose to participate in the tournament. This was a big decision for a school going girl but not for a badminton lover.
    The media headlines highlighted the news saying ‘Saina skips exams to win a tournament’. The entire nation was proud of her. After all the ‘four star tournament’ was won for the first time in India. This was one of the Gold Grand Prix events. The team didn’t win but Saina won gold. The event inspired her a lot and boosted her