Saina Nehwal was a born sportswoman and a champion too; this she proved to the country in her fourth year. He ability to endure hardships and become a champion was noted by her mother immediately.

After the family moved to Hyderabad, 6 years after the incident, the city had become a hub for top badminton players in the country. That was when Pullela Gopichand had won the All England championship and he was the only 2nd Indian to do so.

Taking the advice of Nani Prasad, she was sent to a summer camp that trained her in badminton where she had mesmerized SM Arif with her play. He had since then tutored her to master the game.

Soon after Arif retired, the master badminton player, Gopichand also retired from the game and decided to tutor the youngsters in India. He was also appointed the chief national coach in 2006. Under his training she was the first woman to win the Philippines Open Grand Prix Gold in 2006. She couldnt maintain her consistency then but got back to form in the Chinese Taipei Gran Prix in 2008 where she was the first Indian to win any World Junior Championship.

She reached the quarterfinals in Beijing Olympics, the first ever Indian shuttler to have gone so far. Since then she had many accolades that came along with the wins.

She was struck with freak mishaps and an ankle injury in 2011 which set her back in many games. She lost in all tournaments but the Switzerland Grand Prix. But ever since June this year she had been back on form; winning events consecutively.

She had no trouble qualifying for the Olympics but however practiced harder than the hardest. She didn't sign up for commercials by 4 major companies just because they required a few hours from her training.

Let us all hope that she achieves the 'Golden Dream' to surpass the 3 Chinese shuttlers and bag the 1st rank.

(AW- Anil)