Sindhu and Kohli applaud Saina Nehwal’s legendary badminton career

PV Sindhu and Virat Kohli hailed Saina Nehwal’s legendary career after she confirmed retirement. The former world No 1 won Olympic bronze, Commonwealth gold, and became India’s first woman shuttler to reach world No 1, inspiring generations of Indian badminton players

New Delhi: Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu and Indian batting stalwart Virat Kohli applauded veteran shuttler Saina Nehwal for a legendary career that redefined Indian badminton and put it firmly on the global map.

The 2012 London Olympics bronze medallist, who last played at the BWF Singapore Open in 2023, had not officially announced her retirement until Monday. During a podcast, the former world No 1 confirmed she had left the court on her own terms, saying “there was no need to announce it” formally.

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“Wishing you a happy retirement, @NSaina. Thank you for everything you’ve contributed to Indian badminton. Wishing you peace, happiness, and the very best in this next phase of life,” Sindhu posted on X.

“Congratulations @NSaina on a legendary career that put Indian badminton on the world stage. Wishing you a happy, fulfilling and well-deserved retirement. India is proud,” Kohli shared on X.

Saina rose to international prominence in 2008 after becoming junior world champion and became the first Indian woman to reach the singles quarter-finals at the Olympics (Beijing 2008).

In 2009, she became the first Indian to win a BWF Super Series title by clinching the Indonesia Open. A year later, she won gold at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. At London 2012, she became India’s first Olympic medallist in badminton.

In 2015, she reached world No 1 in singles, becoming only the second Indian shuttler after Prakash Padukone to achieve the feat. That year, she also became the first Indian to reach the final of the BWF World Championships, settling for silver after losing to Carolina Marin.

Her career was repeatedly disrupted by knee injuries, especially after the Rio 2016 Olympics. Despite setbacks, she returned to win bronze at the 2017 World Championships and gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Saina has won every major national award, including the Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri, Khel Ratna and Arjuna Award.

In 2024, she revealed she had arthritis and complete cartilage wear in her knees, which forced her to make the difficult decision to bid farewell to the sport she loved.