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Saina Nehwal

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Saina Nehwal is one of the most successful badminton players from India.

XIX Commonwealth Games-2010 Delhi Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal in action against her Barbados opponent during their match in the preliminary round of badminton event, at Sirifort Sports Complex, in New Delhi
XIX Commonwealth Games-2010 Delhi Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal in action against her Barbados opponent during their match in the preliminary round of badminton event, at Sirifort Sports Complex, in New Delhi

She is famous for her skill with a racket and shuttlecock. Saina has won 24 international titles during her career. These include ten titles from the Super Series, which is a very important group of tournaments. She reached the world number one ranking in 2015. This made her the only female player from India to reach that top spot. She is also the second Indian player ever to be ranked number one, following Prakash Padukone.

Playing at a high level requires many different skills and much training. Saina first started playing badminton when she was only eight years old. She moved to Hyderabad and used the sport to help her socialize with other children. Her parents helped her get great training for her talent. She even practiced karate for a year and earned a brown belt. Saina trained at the Gopichand Badminton Academy under coach Pullela Gopichand. Later, she joined the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy in Bangalore. She trained under U. Vimal Kumar to help her reach the world number one position.

Saina's journey began in a place called Hisar in Haryana. She was born on March 17, 1990, to Harvir Singh Nehwal and Usha Rani Nehwal. Her mother was a state-level badminton player in Haryana. Her father worked at a university and used his own funds to pay for her training. Saina went to school in Hisar before moving to Hyderabad. She finished her 12th grade at St. Ann's College for Women. These early years helped build the foundation for her great career.

Saina has won many important medals and prizes throughout her life.

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She won gold medals at the Commonwealth Games in 2010 and 2018.

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At the London 2012 Olympics, she won a bronze medal.

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She is the only Indian to win medals in every major BWF event. This includes the Olympics, the BWF World Championships, and the BWF World Junior Championships. In 2006, she was the youngest Asian player to win a 4-star tournament. For her many wins, she received the Padma Bhushan, which is India's third-highest civilian award.

Her success has changed how people think about sports in India. Many people believe she helped make badminton a very popular sport in her country. She has also worked to help others through her charity work. In 2015, she was ranked 18th on a list of most charitable athletes. Saina is also interested in politics and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2020. She plans to open her own badminton academy in Haryana. Even after her professional retirement, her many milestones remain an inspiration to many.

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File:XIX Commonwealth Games-2010 Delhi Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal in action against her Barbados opponent during their match in the preliminary round of badminton event, at Sirifort Sports Complex, in New Delhi.jpg
XIX Commonwealth Games-2010 Delhi Indian...
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