Former World No.1 shuttler and Olympic bronze medallist Saina Nehwal on Sunday surprised badminton fans in the Tricity by making a quick visit to Panchkula and interacting with budding shuttlers.
The 36-year-old, who arrived to inaugurate a sports showroom in Sector 20, recalled her old association with Panchkula, saying that she had come here to play a tournament when she was just 13 years old and had won the competition.
Expressing concern over the increasing use of mobile phones among children, Saina advised parents to encourage their children to participate more in sports and fitness activities.
“There are so many distractions these days. I would urge parents to limit the use of mobile phones by children and encourage them to develop the habit of running and exercising. Children are becoming more fragile these days and they will have to work hard,” she said.
Saina confidently described badminton as the second most popular sport in the country after cricket. She said players like PV Sindhu, Kidambi Srikanth and H. S. Prannoy are performing well and expressed hope that they would deliver even better results in the future.
Talking about the influence of sporting stars on fans, she said, “Becoming a superstar is not easy. It takes years of hard work. I worked hard for 10 to 15 years to achieve this position. My coach Pullela Gopichand used to work tirelessly for players in the stadium from 3 am to 8 pm.”
She further said that more badminton leagues should be introduced to keep children interested in the sport and encourage more players to come forward.
The former ace shuttler said Indian badminton is progressing well, but certain shortcomings need to be identified and addressed to replicate the success India achieved earlier.
“The mistakes we are making now need to be corrected. The players are performing well, but the results need to improve further,” she added.
Saina Nehwal visits Panchkula; urges parents to reduce children’s mobile use, promote fitness
