Sportsman spirit: Saina Nehwal does not celebrate her Bronze
Saina Nehwal was handed a Bronze on Saturday. She lost the opening game before China's Xin Wang had to pull out due to an injury. As the world number 2 was walking out, the Indian did not rush to celebrate but instead, chose to enquire about her opponent, hug her and leave. A true champion indeed!
Saina Nehwal was handed a Bronze on Saturday. She lost the opening game before China's Xin Wang had to pull out due to an injury. As the world number 2 was walking out, the Indian did not rush to celebrate but instead, chose to enquire about her opponent, hug her and leave. A true champion indeed!
Saina became India's first badminton medal winner in the Olympics. She won it by forfeit. The 22-year-old however won a lot more than just that medal when she did not even take a victory lap. "I still can't believe the match is over and I won a medal," she said after the tie.
Having lost the opening game 18-21, the shuttler looked her fighting best though it was not going her way. Expectations of a medal were high. When the result did eventually fall her way, she chose to stick to the principles of fair-play and sportsmanship instead of giving in to celebrations. She just raised a hand to acknowledge her fans.
Saina was in superb form throughout the Games. She reached all the way to the semi-final before falling to the world number 1 Yihan Wang. While results may highlight a sportsperson's career, for Saina, ethics seem equally important.