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Saina Nehwal, regarded as the torchbearer of women’s badminton in India, opened up and hit back at her trolls who labelled her Olympics 2012 bronze medal as ‘gifted’. Nehwal became the first shuttler from India to get a medal at the global quadrennial tournament, and it proved to be a turning point for India in international badminton. However, Nehwal has recently found herself amid criticism when she said that Vinesh Phogat and her team should take responsibility for her disqualification from Paris Olympics 2024.
Nehwal and her husband, former badminton player, Parupalli Kashyap, recently appeared in a talk show hosted by RJ Anmol and actor Amrita Rao, where they both hit back at the trolls for calling her bronze medal gifted. Kashyap said, “During the Paris Olympics, she had said something and in the comments I was seeing people saying that her bronze medal was gifted.” Nehwal then added that those trolls should get themselves up and qualify for the Olympics. She added, “Olympic level ke kayak toh bano aap Pehle Olympics ke liye qualify toh karke dikhao.”
I just couldn’t understand anything: Saina Nehwal recalls her 2012 London Olympics bronze medal win
The 34-year-old recalled her bronze medal clash against two-time World Champion Wang Xin, who had to retire due to an injury in the second game. The Indian shuttler had lost her first game 21-18, and her opponent’s retirement led to Nehwal winning India’s first-ever Olympics medal in badminton. Saina said, “She was not the kind of player who showed any pain or emotions on court. But there I was seeing that she was flinching and I could see it in her face and I felt that something was going on.”
She added, "I just heard a light sound from her end and she just sat down. I didn't realise that something had happened to her. The next two-three points she was struggling to walk. And then suddenly she held out her hand and I wondered what was happening here. I asked and she just said 'Very bad, very bad'.” She continued, “Gopi sir was then looking very happy and said that I had won a medal. I just couldn’t understand anything.”
