Saina Nehwal facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Saina Nehwal
Nehwal in 2011
Personal information
Born	(1990-03-17) 17 March 1990 (age 35) Hisar, Haryana, India
Residence	Hyderabad, Telangana, India
Height	1.65 m
Weight	65 kg
Country	India
Handedness	Right
Women's singles
Highest Ranking	1 (2 April 2015)

Saina Nehwal is a famous Indian badminton player. She was once ranked number one in the world! Saina has won 24 international titles, including ten major Superseries events. In 2015, she became the first Indian female player to reach the world number one ranking in badminton. She is also the second Indian player ever to do so, after Prakash Padukone.

Saina has represented India three times at the Olympics. She won a bronze medal at the London 2012 Games. She is the only Indian player to have won at least one medal in every major individual event organized by the Badminton World Federation, including the Olympics, the BWF World Championships, and the BWF World Junior Championships. Saina was the first Indian badminton player to win an Olympic medal. She was also the first Indian to reach the final of the BWF World Championships and the first to win the BWF World Junior Championships.

In 2006, Saina became the first Indian woman and the youngest Asian to win a 4-star badminton tournament. She also led the Indian team to their first-ever bronze medal at the 2014 Uber Cup. Saina is also the first Indian to win two gold medals in singles at the Commonwealth Games (in 2010 and 2018). Many people see her as one of India's most successful badminton players. She is known for making badminton more popular in India.

About Saina Nehwal
Awards and Recognition
Images for kids
See also

About Saina Nehwal

Saina Nehwal was born on March 17, 1990. She is known for her strong and determined playing style on the badminton court.

Early Life and Training

Saina Nehwal was born in Hisar, Haryana, India. Her parents are Harvir Singh Nehwal and Usha Rani Nehwal. She has an older sister named Chandranshu. Saina's father has a PhD in agricultural science. Her mother, Usha Rani, was a state-level badminton player in Haryana.

When Saina was eight years old, her family moved to Hyderabad. She started playing badminton because she didn't know the local language well. Playing badminton helped her connect with others. Her father used his savings to make sure she got good training. She even took karate classes for a year and earned a brown belt!

Saina trained at the Gopichand Badminton Academy under coach Pullela Gopichand. In 2014, she trained with U. Vimal Kumar in Bangalore and became World number one. She later returned to train with Gopichand in 2017.

Personal Life

At home, Saina and her family speak the Haryanvi language. She enjoys watching movies with actors like Shah Rukh Khan and Mahesh Babu. She also likes cricketer Chris Gayle. Saina is planning to open her own badminton academy in her home state of Haryana.

Saina married fellow badminton player Parupalli Kashyap on December 14, 2018. On July 14, 2025, Saina announced that she and her husband had separated.

Joining Politics

On January 29, 2020, Saina Nehwal joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in Delhi. Her sister, Abu Chandranshu Nehwal, also joined the party. Saina said that she was inspired by Narendra Modi and his work for the country.

Her Amazing Career

Saina's career is full of exciting wins and achievements.

Early Wins (2005–2007)

In 2005, when she was just 15, Saina won an Asian Satellite tournament in New Delhi. The next year, she became the under-19 national champion. At 16, she made history by winning the Philippines Open, a 4-star tournament. She was the first Indian woman and the youngest Asian to do so. She even beat the world number two player!

Junior World Champion and Olympic Debut (2008)

In 2008, Saina became the first Indian to win the World Junior Championships. She also played in her first Olympics at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. She reached the quarter-finals, becoming the first Indian woman to do so. The Badminton World Federation named her "The Most Promising Player" in 2008.

First Super Series Title (2009)

In June 2009, Saina became the first Indian to win a BWF Super Series title by winning the Indonesia Open. This was a huge step in her career, similar to winning the All England Championships.

Reaching World No. 2 (2010)

Saina continued her winning streak in 2010. She won the India Open Grand Prix Gold and the Singapore Open. In July 2010, she reached a career-high ranking of world number 2. She also won a gold medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

Saina Nehwal playing at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

Olympic Bronze Medal (2012)

Saina successfully defended her Swiss Open title in 2012. She also won the Thailand Open and her third consecutive Indonesia Open. At the London Olympics, Saina won a bronze medal. This was a historic moment for Indian badminton.

Becoming World No. 1 (2015)

In 2014, Saina won the India Grand Prix Gold and the Australian Open. She also became the first Indian player to win the China Open.

The year 2015 was very special. Saina won the Syed Modi International and reached the finals of the All England Open. On March 29, she won her first India Open title. This win made her the World number 1 when the rankings were released on April 2, 2015! She also won a silver medal at the World Championship in Jakarta, becoming the first Indian to reach the finals.

Later Career and More Medals (2016-2019)

Despite injuries, Saina continued to achieve. In 2016, she won the Australian Open. In 2017, she won the Malaysia Masters and a bronze medal at the World Championship in Glasgow. She also won her 82nd national badminton championship.

In 2018, Saina won her second gold medal in women's singles at the Commonwealth Games. She also helped the Indian team win gold in the mixed team event. She earned a bronze medal at the Asian Championships and a bronze at the Asian Games. This made her one of the few players to win medals at the Olympics, World Championships, Commonwealth Games, Asian Championships, and Asian Games.

In 2019, she won the Indonesia Masters. She also won her 4th National title by defeating P. V. Sindhu.

Awards and Recognition

Saina Nehwal has received many important awards for her achievements in badminton:

Most Promising Player of the Year (2008) by the Badminton World Federation.
Arjuna Award (2009)
Padma Shri (2010)
Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna (2009–2010), India's highest sports honor.
Padma Bhushan (2016), India's third-highest civilian award.

For her bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics, she received cash awards from several state governments and the Badminton Association of India. She also received honorary doctorate degrees from two universities.

Endorsements

Saina has been sponsored by many big brands throughout her career. In 2002, Yonex started sponsoring her sports gear. As she became more famous, other companies like Bharat Petroleum, Edelweiss Group, Emami, Fortune Cooking Oil, Godrej No Marks, Herbalife Nutrition, Huawei Honor smartphone, Indian Overseas Bank, Iodex, NECC, Sahara Group, Star Sports, Top Ramen Noodles, and Vaseline also sponsored her.

In Popular Culture

Saina has appeared on popular Indian TV shows like Satyamev Jayate, Comedy Nights with Kapil, The Kapil Sharma Show, and Sam Jam.

Her autobiography, Playing to Win: My Life On and Off Court, was released in 2012.

A movie about her life, called Saina, was released in 2021. Actress Parineeti Chopra played Saina in the film.

Legacy

The Saina Nehwal Institute of Agricultural Technology, Training & Education at Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University is named after her.