'Saina can end Chinese domination'

With 13 titles and former world No 1 tag to his name, Xiong Guabao can easily pass off as one of badminton’s greats. But in a country that has produced ‘n’ number of world champions, and continues to do so, his achievements have gone fairly unnoticed.
Perhaps, that’s the downside of being a Chinese badminton player who has managed to win every other title but the world championship or an Olympic gold. Guabao is quick to admit that but at the same time, refrains from talking much about it.

“I feel the players today are much better. There is no doubt about it,” he said here on Wednesday. “Guys like Lin Dan, who I feel is the greatest ever badminton player, have taken the sport to the next level.”

Such is the Chinese shuttlers’ domination that Guabao believes that no country can come close to challenging them for many more years. That’s until a name suddenly strikes him. “No one. No one can challenge Chinese players. They are way ahead than everyone,” he said via a translator, before interrupting him.

“Saina…” he said, adding, “She is the only one in the world who can end the Chinese domination. That girl, she needs put in more effort, devote more time and prepare herself in a thorough way to do that. But she is the only one capable.” The problem Saina is facing, he felt, was the relatively inferior quality of opponents in the domestic circuit.

“The reason why China is strong is that there are players constantly challenging the ones at the top. But India has only one Saina and that is the problem. She needs more world-class competitors at the domestic level. That will help her a lot,” said Guabao,talking on the sidelines of the launch of Thwack range of sports equipments manufactured by Indian company One Sports.
Meanwhile, managing director of One Group, Akhil Ganatra, said they hoped to make Thwack products available by the end of July.

“We have made an initial investment of around $10 to $15 million. We feel sports will promote a healthier and a fitter lifestyle with a lot of fun. I think the products should be in the market by end of July,” Ganatra said after launching a rangeof badminton rackets andaccessories.

Saina Nehwal's performance in Indonesia Open satisfactory

Terming the performance of Saina Nehwal in the Indonesia Open Super Series tourney as satisfactory, national coach Pullela Gopichand today said the badminton ace lost a keenly contested match against China's Yihan Wang after doing well in the tournament.

"Saina played excellently in the final match and lost to Wang in a keenly contested match to miss her hat-trick. She is suffering from minor injuries but she is fit," the former All England Badminton Champion told reporters here.

Nehwal went down to Wang 12-21, 23-21, 14-21 in a gruelling tussle in the final of the Indonesia Open Super Series badminton on Sunday.

On the Badminton World Federation's decision to make it mandatory for women to wear skirts during tournaments, he said players should decide on their own what they want to wear and what not.

Gopichand said said Saina, P Kashyap and Anurag Thakkar had the potential to emerge as world-class players. If they get proper training and coaches, then they can also perform better at international events, he said.

In order to produce quality players, the country must provide as many coaching facilities as possible and also appoint foreign coaches for giving proper training, he added.

Gopichand arrived here on the invitation of Madhya Pradesh Sports and Youth Welfare Ministry for the selection of promising players in the age group of 9-12 years.

He said he had high hopes from the State Badminton Academy's Samir, Sourabh and Anurag Thakkar, who have just stepped into the international arena.

Praising the facilities at the State Badminton Academy at Gwalior, Gopichand said such facilities should also be provided at the district and tehsil level.

Erratic Saina Nehwal ends runner-up at Indonesia Open

A profligate defending champion Saina Nehwal faltered at the final hurdle, failing to complete the hat-trick of titles at the Indonesia Open Super Series after losing to Chinese world number three Yihan Wang in the final here today.

Fourth seed Nehwal, who won the title in 2009 and 2010, frittered away a match point en route to a 21-12 21-23 14-21 loss to her equally error-prone rival.

In a contest which lasted a little over an hour, Nehwal gained from Wang's numerous errors of judgments, misplaced shots and her own trademark smashes to clinch the opening game rather easily.

Wang committed 12 unforced errors in the opening game.

But the Chinese recovered in the second game and although the number of unforced errors did not improve, Nehwal helped her rival'scause by trying too hard to hurry up the proceedings.

The result was 10 unforced errors for the Indian, who also struggled to connect the smashes that more often than not had bailed her out in crunch situations.

Wang was quick to pounce on the chance and took 11-8 lead at the change of ends.

The Chinese was cruising along 17-14 before Nehwal smashed her way back again to make it 20-19. The Indian had a match point in hand but Wang fought back to make the scoreline 21-21 before clinching the game 23-21.

The shift in momentum was evident in the third game and though the two players went neck-and-neck till 9-9, it was clear that Wang had gained in confidence while Nehwal's game began to fall apart.

Nehwal's stock smashes were not getting the desired result as Wang showed better judgment on the baseline. In fact, Wang managed nine smash winners compared to Nehwal's two in the deciding game.

Saina sails into Indonesia Open 2nd round

Defending champion Saina Nehwal entered the second round of the Indonesian Open badminton Wednesday with a 21-12, 21-10 victory over Bulgarian Linda Zechiri at Istora Senayan in Jakarta.

The 21-year-old Hyderabadi, who bruised her shin when she fell off a treadmill a couple of weeks ago, needed a mere 29 minutes to finish the match.

"My shin hurts sometimes. I had to take a couple of days off from training, but things are fine now," said the 21-year old, ranked No.4 in the world.

Saina now faces another Bulgarian, Petya Nedelcheva, Thursday.

London to host 2011 Badminton World Championships

London has won the right to stage the 2011 Badminton World Championships.

Wembley Arena will host the event, which is staged annually apart from in an Olympic year, from 8-14 August.

The arena will also be the venue for the sport at the capital's 2012 Olympic Games after organisers decided against building a new venue in Stratford.

Badminton England chief executive Adrian Christy said hosting the competition one year out from the Games made the event "even more special".

Christy added: "I would like to assure the Badminton World Federation (BWF) and the players that Badminton England will do all that is possible to make the first BWF World Championships in London a truly wonderful experience for all concerned.

"I would also like reiterate our appreciation to the BWF for their confidence in Badminton England to host the World Championships.

"We have just staged the European Badminton Championships in Manchester and we are now looking forward to the countdown to the 2011 World Championships."

The tournament was last staged in Britain in 2003 in Birmingham, while this year's championships take place in Paris.

Wembley Arena will also be the venue for the sport at the 2012 Games after organisers decided against building a temporary venue at the Olympic Park in Stratford, east London.

China's Lin Dan is the reigning men's champion, having won the last three titles, while compatriot Lu Lan is the women's champion.

Saina loses thrilling semifinal against Wang

Saina Nehwal played her heart out but lost to world number six Chen Wang of Hong Kong in an edge-of-the-seat semifinal of the World Super Series Masters Final on Saturday.

The world number 10 Indian used every trick from her arsenal but failed to match the experience of her third seed Hong Kong opponent and went down fighting 15-21 21-14 16-21 to bring down curtains in the prestigious tournament.

An attacking player, Wang rode on her smashes and better net play to wrest the first game as Saina huffed and puffed helplessly all across the court.

However, the 18-year-old Indian raised her game and rallied to pocket the second game 21-14. The third game was a cliff-hanger as the two rivals fought tooth and nail. At one point, Wang opened up a four point lead but Saina narrowed down the gap pocketing two quick points.

Finally, however, it was the Hong Kong girl who had the last laugh as she sealed the match in 42 minutes. Saina became the first Indian to reach the semifinals of
the World Super Series Masters Finals yesterday when she beat Hongyan Pi of France in straight games and later edged out local favourite Mew Choo Wong in a thrilling contest on a single day.

The Beijing quarterfinalist will next play in the Malaysian Super Series and the Korean Super Series in January next year.

Saina wins second game, keeps semi-final hopes alive

Saina Nehwal shrugged off her first match disappointment and thumped fourth-seed Hongyan Pi of France in straight sets to keep her hopes of making the semi-finals alive in the World Super Series Masters Finals, here on Friday.

The world No 10 Indian thrashed the French, ranked three notches higher than her, 21-18, 21-13 in a 34-minute contest.

National champion Saina will next face sixth-seed and world No 11 Mew Choo Wong of Malaysia later today.

The eighteen-year-old shuttler rallied well to leave her opponent huffing and puffing all over the court and indulged in some sharp smashes to gallop her way to sealing the first set 21-18.

In the next game, Hongyan displayed some powerful strokes and matched Saina's smashes well but the Indian ace was in no mood to give an inch. She played close to the nets and raced away with the game 21-13.

For Saina, entering top-10 is beginning of sterner test

18-year-old says she will now aim to break into top-5 over the next 12 months; coach Pullela Gopichand believes her best is yet to come

Thursday morning brought good news for Saina Nehwal. Her father Harvir Singh was the first to realise that Saina had for the first time broken into the top-10.
It was the icing on the cake in a year in which she reached the quarterfinals of the Beijing Olympics and won the Chinese Taipei Open, her second Grand Prix crown and also reached the semis of the Singapore Super Series and the China Masters Super Series. At 18, Saina enjoyed her best year.

She went into this season wondering if she had the legs and the game to take on top-10 players in the world but she has emerged with flying colours. Beating Chen Wang of Hong Kong, then ranked No.5 in the world in the pre-quarterfinals of the Beijing Olympics was one of her memorable wins.

“It has been a perfect year for me. At the start of the year my aim was to break into the top-10,” Saina told DNA from Hyderabad. She knows that a litmus test awaits her now.

“It’s going to be very tough for me to stay in the top-10 club. I will have to win the big games in Super Series, Grand Prix and Gold Grand Prix events and will have to consistently beat the best in the world. This year, I reached the semifinals and quarterfinals of Super Series events but from here on I will have to reach finals and win such events. Otherwise, there is the danger of me slipping down to the 20s or 30s in the ranking. Things are going to get harder from here, but if I can stay fit and train hard then I should be able to enter the top-5 and stay there over the next year. Being in the top-5 is my aim over the next 12 months,” Saina added.

While she is set to play in the Korea and Malaysia Super Series in January, Saina has one eye on the All England Championship and the World Championship scheduled to be held in Hyderabad in August.

“It’s most important that I enjoy my game. I try not to get bogged down by the pressure of playing the big tournaments. Hopefully, in spite of the increased expectations on me, I will be able to enjoy my success,” Saina added.

Pullela Gopichand, her coach of four years, said that Saina’s rise to the top-10 could have been faster if she hadn’t played in the Youth Commonwealth Games and the World Junior Championships, both of which she won. “Most top players don’t play in the junior championships but Saina represented the country. But another way of looking at it is that if she played on the senior tour instead of the junior championships she would have been in the top-10 by October,” Gopichand told DNA.

The National coach believes that being in the top-10 will give Saina some breathing space as she will not have to take on the best players in early rounds of big events.

“Saina will need a right mix of playing top-level tournaments and also creating a window for four to six weeks for practice and training. That would be the perfect recipe for the next 12 months or so.”

Gopichand said that though Saina didn’t start the year in the right frame of mind as she was upset that she hadn’t taken her chances against top players last year, she bounced back and showed heart to give some memorable performances. “What we shouldn’t forget is that she is just 18,” Gopichand said. “There is a lot of work ahead.”

Saina Nehwal will be world no 1: Prakash Padukone

Saina Nehwal is a 'champion material' and in another three years, India can look forward to seeing a world number one in the Hyderabadi youngster, said legendary shuttler Prakash Padukone.

Seventeen-year-old Saina has most of the qualities a champion needs -- physical, technical, mental and self-belief -- the former All England Champion said.

"If she continues to work hard and remain focused, there is no reason why she can't reach the very top", Padukone, himself a former world number one and a World Cup winner, said.

"It (Saina becoming world number one) is definitely possible. She is already at 11 (in world rankings) now. It's just a matter of time before she breaks into the top 10", he said.

"I think within a year, she is definitely capable of being in top five, and go on to even become number one may be in two-three years," he said.

This year has been an extraordinary one for Saina, who reached the quarterfinals in the Beijing Olympics and won the recent World Junior Badminton title.

"If she continues like this, she has got everything going right", Padukone said, terming her performance in the two events as impressive, creditable and commendable.

"One can look forward to some great performances from her in the future," he said.

Saina needs to plan her tournament schedule properly, Padukone said, advising her to be selective about tournaments and space them out in such a way that she gets enough time and rest and can work on her weaknesses in between.

Training for short stints abroad -- may be in Malaysia or Indonesia -- would be a good idea for her as such outings would help her familiarise more with the type of game that foreigners play.

"They (foreign players) play a different kind of game, compared to the Indians. So, that does not come as a surprise to you when you play them (If you have short training stints abroad)", Padukone said.

On her quarter-final defeat in Beijing Games, he said that was more due to lack of her experience. Saina was mentally very strong and had self-belief, which were the key factors.

"She believes now that she can beat the best in the world," Padukone said, but cautioned that she should also be prepared to face some defeats along the way as the other players would not give her titles on a platter.

"You have to be prepared mentally to face some reversals...may be one or two odd defeats will be there. That should not upset you", he said.

Saina, Sai Dutt in semifinals

India’s Saina Nehwal and Guru Sai Dutt notched up contrasting wins to advance to the semifinals at the World junior badminton championship here on Friday.

Saina prevailed over Lindaweni Fanetri of Indonesia 21-13, 21-13, while Sai Dutt stunned second-seed Korean Sung Min Park 21-16, 14-21, 21-19 in a 53-minute gruelling battle.

St. Petersburg Open: Bopanna-Mirnyi in semis

Rohan Bopanna and his Belarussian partner Max Mirnyi overcame a second-set lapse to advance to the semifinals of $ 1,049,000 St Petersburg Open.

The unseeded pair of Bopanna and Mirnyi tamed the formidable Russian pair of Igor Kunitsyn and former World number one Marat Safin 6-4, 3-6, 13-11 in one hour and 15 minutes to move to the next level.

The Indo-Belarusian pair converted one of the four break points and saved the only break point they faced to take the first set.

Their rivals curbed their errors and converted both the breakpoints that Bopanna and Mirnyi offered to draw parity in the match.

However, the Bopanna-Mirnyi combine held their nerves in the decisive super tie-breaker to walk away with the match.

They next face giant killers in Slovakian Michal Mertinak and Croatia's Lovic Zovko, who stunned the second seeded Czech pair of Martin Damm and Pavel Vizner in their opening round.

All-time greats in the history of the Olympic Games

Nadia Elena Comaneci
Nadia Elena Comaneci is a winner of five Olympic gold medals, and the first gymnast to be awarded a perfect score of 10 in an Olympic gymnastic event. Comaneci was the first Romanian gymnast to win the all-around title at the Olympics. She is also the youngest-ever Olympic gymnastics all-around champion.




Mark Spitz
Mark Spitz gave swimming an unparalleled and unforgettable memory in Munich. A total of seven gold medals, and as many world records, were won by the determined Californian during the Games of 1972, adding to what he described as his "disappointing" haul of five medals in 1968.




Carl Lewis
Carl Lewis won 10 Olympic medals including 9 golds, and 10 World Championships medals, of which 8 were golds, in a career that spanned from 1979 when he first achieved a world ranking to 1996 when he last won an Olympic title and subsequently retired. He was voted "Sportsman of the Century" by the International Olympic Committee and was also named "Olympian of the Century" by Sports Illustrated. He also helped transform track and field from its nominal amateur status to its current professional status.




Paavo Nurmi
If long distance running was in need of a role model, one would have to look no further than Paavo Nurmi. The legendary Finn smashed an incredible 22 world records, winning nine Olympic golds on the way. Nurmi won a total of 12 Olympic medals across three Games --- 1920, 1924 and 1928.




Jesse Owens
The German head of state had done everything in its power to leave a taste of Nazi propaganda in the mouths of all the competing nations at the 1936 Olympic Games. Jesse Owens, born the son of a slave in 1913 in segregated Alabama, however, left his own mark by winning four gold medals which would turn Adolf Hitler's theory of racial supremacy on its head.




Dawn Fraser
Whether it was due to a modest background, or a refusal to give up swimming even when banned in the early stages of her career, Dawn Fraser's determination led her to battle adversity and ultimately conquer the sprint events at three consecutive Olympic Games -- 1956, 1960 and 1964. Three Olympic gold titles in 1956, 1960 and 1964 in the 100m freestyle eventually brought the daughter of a Sydney docker justified success. She won a total of eight Olympic medals.




Bob Beamon
Robert "Bob" Beamon leapt to world prominence with a stunning long-jump gold in the 1968 Mexico Games. A virtual flight of 8.90m also broke the Olympic and world records, earning the American a deserved place in athletics history. Beamon's mark was not bettered until the 1991 Tokyo world championships when his compatriot Mike Powell jumped 8.95m.




Fanny Blankers-Koen
Fanny Blankers-Koen won four gold medals at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London. She accomplished this as a mother of two, during a time when many disregarded women's athletics. Her background and performances earned her the nickname "the Flying Housewife."




Michael Johnson
At the Atlanta Games of 1996 Michael Johnson not only became the first athlete to take Olympic golds in both the 200m and 400m, but shattered the 200m world record with an eye-opening time of 19.32sec. In all, he won five gold medals across three Olympic Games.




Greg Louganis
Greg Louganis can simply be described as the total diver. At age 16, he took part in the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, where he placed second in the tower event. in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, Louganis won gold medals in both the springboard and tower diving events. He repeated his 1984 feat in the 1988 Seoul Olympics, although not without drama. Louganis suffered an injury, hitting his head on the diving board during the preliminary rounds while performing a reverse 2 1/2 pike; he completed the preliminaries, despite a concussion, then went on to repeat the dive during the finals, with nearly perfect scores, earning him the gold medal.




Jackie Joyner-Kersee
Jackie Joyner-Kersee is ranked among the all-time greatest athletes in the women's heptathlon as well as in the women's long jump. She won three gold, one silver, and two bronze Olympic medals, in those two different events. "Sports Illustrated" magazine voted her the Greatest Female Athlete of the 20th century.




Steve Redgrave
Great Britain's now legendary rower Steve Redgrave pushed his ageing body through more gruelling punishment at the Sydney Olympics as he won his fifth gold medal at consecutive Games - a feat never before achieved in endurance events. After previous victories from Los Angeles (1984) to Sydney 2000, he finally retired from the sport in 2000, and was given a knighthood for his remarkable achievements.




Kristin Otto
East Germany's Olympic swimming champion Kristin Otto is truly unique for the display of talent in three separate styles -- freestyle, backstroke and butterfly -- which brought her six gold medals during the Seoul Games of 1988.




Abebe Bikila
With his win in the marathon in the 1960 Rome Olympics, Abebe Bikila became the first black African Olympic champion. Bikila, who ran the marathon barefoot in Rome ntered Olympic history with a world best time of 2:15:16.2. Bikila also won the gold in the 1964 Games in Tokyo -- this time he ran with shoes and once again set a new world best time of 2:12:11.2.




Olga Korbut
Olga Korbut is a Belarusian, Soviet-born gymnast who won four gold medals and two silver medals at the Summer Olympics, in which she competed in 1972 and 1976 for the USSR team. At the 1972 Munich Olympics, she became the first person to do a backward somersault on the balance beam in competition. She was also the first to do a standing backward somersault on bars, and a back somersault to swingdown (Korbut Flip) on beam.

Du and Yu grab first badminton gold

Du Jing and Yu Yang of China (Photo credit: Xinhua)


Second seeds Du Jing and Yu Yang of China prevailed over fourth seeds Lee Hyo-jung and Lee Kyung-won of the Republic of Korea 21-15, 21-13 to clinch the Women's Doubles gold in the Olympic Badminton tournament on Friday, August 15.