Saina Nehwal: India’s Beloved Champion

Badminton in India changed forever in August 2012 when Saina Nehwal won an Olympic bronze medal and reached beyond the sporting community into superstardom.

Credit: Veri Sanovri/Xinhua/Alamy Live News

“Saina honestly did something amazing for Indian badminton…I literally had never watched badminton until she started winning. She actually carved out a space for a sport not very popular in India – especially for women – and now it’s so much better.” By September

Like many others I first noticed her at London 2012, however, by that point she was already Commonwealth Champion so she had already achieved significant success. Losing that semi final in the Olympics must have been utterly gut wrenching both for her and the nation watching back home. The bitter disappointment was transformed when she won the bronze and elevated badminton’s popularity to new heights.

On the surface she has quite a ‘classic’ approach to her matches. By that I mean – as in all singles – she likes to move her opponent to the four corners, tries to get them off balance, makes space, then pounces. But that description is too simple and doesn’t take into account her brilliance as a tactician or her psychological power. It’s this mix of skills – all shots form part of her armoury – that make her such a potent player and a fascinating shuttler to watch.

I’ve heard it said that her game relies on retrieving. Clearly, the disadvantage of this style can be that it is reactive. There is either going to be a hint of hesitation or a bit of anticipation. Both of which are weaknesses to be exploited by an opponent. Someone like Tai Tzu Ying – who has spontaneous unpredictable creativity – can really punish this. Against most rivals though it is not a flaw; it showcases her incredible mental strength and strategic dexterity. There is no doubt that she needs to draw rivals into rallies. She has a potent smash – her best shot in my opinion – she has to lure the other player into a weak lift to let her unleash.

She has a genius for defence – always a couple of steps ahead and carefully applying pressure upon her opponent. How must it feel to play against her when nothing you try will break her resistance? This is the remarkable emotional force she has. She will fight until her last breath, she never gives up, she doesn’t recognise when she is beaten. She is the sort of person you want by your side in a war.

“Winning is the only option. I am someone who does not like losing in tournaments.”

2015 was arguably the highlight of her career so far because she achieved World No. 1 status .In the years before that, she triumphed in lots of BWF Superseries events such as the Indonesian Open (2009/2010/2012/2019), Singapore Open (2010), Hong Kong Open (2011) and too many others to list here. But then, just as her Rio Olympics campaign was starting, we all know about that knee injury.

Saina talks about injury and her role as an ambassador for Clean, Fair and Honourable Badminton.
Video by kind permission of BWF

It’s a tribute to her hard work and commitment that she came back to the top of the sport after her operation. Her smash needs to be perfect now because as she follows it in to the net there is the threat that she will be caught out. Her shot selection can be a bit risk averse; her pleasure is clearly in doing whatever it takes to win rather than revelling in pin point accuracy. That attacking clear to a corner is an incredibly useful shot; likewise the cross court net shot to wrong foot her opponent.

I still think there is a lot to come from Saina providing her workload is managed properly. By that I mean that as she gets older it would be ridiculous to play in too many tournaments – badminton is such a physically demanding sport – wear and tear would just be inevitable. But with the right team behind her: coaches, physios, nutritionalists and of course her fans she can still be a beacon for Indian and world badminton.

Saina Nehwal must be the most beloved Indian player. She has been an inspirational game changer in her sport and has touched people far beyond the badminton community. I’ve been inundated with requests to write about her; it’s been hugely enjoyable watching some of her past games and talking to fans about her style. The affection felt for her and the admiration of her is incredible. I’ll give the last word to one of her millions of fans:

“She made an entire nation believe that with hard work and passion Indians can reach the very top in world badminton and consistently win titles. Making a big space for badminton in a cricket mad nation is not easy, now badminton is the second most popular sport in India” Arun – Saina Fan

If you enjoyed this follow the link for more Saina quotes https://womensbadminton.co.uk/saina/

Follow the link below for my article about the other Indian Superstar, P V Sindhu https://womensbadminton.co.uk/2019/03/25/p-v-sindhu-indias-superstar/

Nozomi Okuhara: Racket Ready For Tokyo Glory?

Nozomi Okuhara is part of an exceptional generation of Japanese shuttlers who have been challenging the Chinese domination of the game. She is one of the best Women’s Singles players in the world and a genuine hope for a medal at the Olympics in Tokyo 2020.

“…everyone loves badminton…”

Who is this extraordinary woman who bows respectfully as she enters and leaves the court and who tweets humbly after a game that next time she will “try harder”?

Nozomi comes over as a very thoughtful, intelligent and focused person in this interview. Video courtesy BWF

The badminton competition at the Tokyo Olympics is already being hotly anticipated all over Asia. Japan’s problem – or strength – is that they just have so many remarkable women players. Okuhara is part of an ambitious national team; there are lots of tournaments between now and the Olympic finals but the big prize, without doubt, will be the gold medal.

She is a defensive player known for her speed, agility and endurance, so this means her games are characterised by long rallies. One of her main rivals – Tai Tzu Ying – said of her

“Okuhara is a good opponent, she’s very durable”

She loves to draw her opponents into these extended exchanges and ironically, although she is tough enough to see them through to the end I think that against top opponents it can often be a weakness. During games against Tai Tzu Ying she can be unsettled by TTY’s spontaneity. At times Tai just refuses to get into the groove of a long probing rally – she just finishes the points off and moves on – eventually winning the game. So, paradoxically her cautious approach is very dangerous; if her accuracy ever fails she hands over control to her adversary. There are times when it’s frustrating to watch because with the opposition court at her mercy she often eschews a swift kill and opts to send back another clear.

Is she waiting for the perfect chance to punish her opponent? Morten Frost said of her that ” she needs to find ways to score points”. To her credit I believe that she has started taking courageous steps to add some brutality to her game. She has recently left her team – Nihon Unisys – and is now working with a personal coach, Shoji Sato. She has realised that her vision of being on that Tokyo podium needs a new approach if it’s going to come to pass. She has commented before that she needs to stay fit to succeed so this has to mean she will dismantle part of her game. Her defensive style must be harsh on her injury prone knees.

Embed from Getty Images

There are so many other outstanding women’s singles players who want that medal, any of the people in the top 10 could grab gold. Tai Tzu Ying and Akane Yamaguchi must be favourites but what about Carolina Marin? Could she engineer a sensational comeback from injury to defend her Rio 2016 title? Well, it’s all speculation at this point. In interviews Okuhara inevitably talks of the joy and happiness that badminton brings her. She was Japan’s first women’s singles world champion but she recently said:

“The Olympic Games remains the most important target for me, especially as it will be held in Japan this time. It will be difficult but I want to win gold medal for the fans.”

Here’s my article about one of her biggest rivals P V Sindhu https://womensbadminton.co.uk/2019/08/25/p-v-sindhu-world-champion/

If you enjoyed this article follow the link to read about Tai Tzu Ying https://womensbadminton.co.uk/2019/07/01/tai-tzu-ying-goddess-or-mortal/ and if you want to find out more about Carolina Marin click this link https://womensbadminton.co.uk/2019/07/11/marin-is-sorely-missed/

Indonesia’s Polii and Rahayu: The Dynamic Duo.

A great player splits with her partner through injury and a young ‘nobody’ is suddenly propelled into the spotlight:

It takes guts to enter into a new doubles partnership. It means starting from fresh at the bottom of the rankings and learning a new person’s strengths. Polii was the senior player matched to the young raw Rahayu; it was a new dawn for her and a golden opportunity for her new partner.

When the Indonesian team was restructured at the end of 2016 new combinations of players were tried out in the women’s doubles camp. It was a shake up for both of them. Inevitably at the start there were failures as they put in the hard yards. All the training and planning that goes into elite sport is well-known but there’s no substitute for playing in match conditions under pressure. As they competed, they clicked and success came surprisingly quickly.

Polii is the one who is tournament hardened; she brings a vast experience to any game. She’s been to the Olympics and played in all the high-profile competitions but Rahayu has drive and fearlessness. She is a great partner to have; she works hard and pushes the game aggressively. I love the way she opens up and goes for her shots. She relishes winning and wins well.

Video courtesy of BWF

Long rallies are a feature of women’s doubles these days; patience is needed as well as guile to penetrate well organised defences. These two are very fit and have the endurance to outlast their opponents. 50 & 60 shot rallies are no problem. With their strength and speed, they can turn the screw on their opponents really effectively. They won the 2019 India Open in two games but the last one went to 25-23. It shows a willingness to commit to victory, rather than let the match drift to an unnecessary third game.

There’s more to them than just stubborn stamina though. They’ve got great accuracy – especially Polii – and they are adept at changing direction in rallies to place the shuttle after working the opening. Greysia is the boss but there is obviously great chemistry between them.

BWF World Championships August 2019 Update

Greysap were immense in Basel and they came away with a thoroughly deserved Bronze medal. Their QF was against Chen & Jia who were seeded above them at 4. It was a fighter’s game & there were times when the shuttle was being hit at them with such pace and venom by the Chinese pair that it was hard to see how they would survive. But they did, they refused to be beaten; their opponents just could not force their way to a win. The first game was 25-23 just like in the India Open final this year; the second 23-21.

Video courtesy of BWF

So what does the future hold? Greysia Polii is quoted as saying

“…we still have a lot of work on ahead of the Olympics…”.

It’ll be interesting to see how Olympic qualifying year goes. The first indicator of their ambition has to be their success at the World Championships. Its been wonderful to watch them develop as a unit over the past couple of years, they just get better and better, however can they challenge the Japanese for the title at their home Olympics?

If you enjoyed this, follow the link to an article by Podcast Tepak Bulu about the future of Indonesian Badminton https://womensbadminton.co.uk/2019/07/14/has-indonesian-badminton-stagnated/

And this piece by Dev Sukumar on the BWF website about Liliyana Natsir https://bwfworldchampionships.bwfbadminton.com/news-single/2019/08/08/winny-will-need-support-liliyana-natsir/

Another Sensational Player From China: CHEN Yu Fei

Women’s singles in badminton is crammed with talent, we watch a game blessed with a golden generation of athletes from around the world. But there is one player recently who is always catching the eye and I think she may be on the brink of dominating the game for a while to come: Chen Yu Fei.

Since her success at the 2018 Fuzhou Chinese Open Chen has been on an upward trajectory. 2019 has been an amazing year for her: so far she has won the All England Open, the Swiss Open and the Australian Open. These finals saw her beat opponents over two straight games.

Video courtesy of Badminton England

I watched her play in the final at the All England Open this year and went to the game fully expecting Tai Tzu Ying to play at her imperious best and be crowned Queen of the court. Things turned out a lot differently to that…

Photo credit: Hafiz Johari/Shutterstock.com

Shivani Naik from the Indian Express says that Chen neutralised Tai in that match and I think that analysis is spot on. We all watch Tai and expect her to conquer opponents through a mix of fabulous deception and Zen-like calm. Chen refused to stand admiringly on the other side of the net and rejected the opportunity to be beaten. Tai was made to run around and there were too many times when she was scrambling for the shuttle. She just could not dominate in her usual way.

Her performances in the Sudirman Cup this year were excellent. The highlights video below illustrates her athletic, full-on approach.

Both players finish the match flat out on the court. Video courtesy BWF

Chen looks very fit – she is simultaneously springy and unyielding – and there is a grit to her make up. She is obstinate, she hustles, she doesn’t give up, she declines defeat. Every shot her opponent tries is retrieved. Not just that, she defends relentlessly and then switches to attack, pushing back on her rival. She doesn’t make many mistakes, and although it sounds obvious, it is a huge advantage in any match. This must be exhausting to play against.

I think she is great at the net. Although not the tallest at 171cm she has a great reach and lunges well to get to the shuttle. Unlike P V Sindhu she doesn’t have particularly steep smashes in her armour, nor does she have a long-legged stride to cover the court. What she does have is fast reactions and confidence in her ability so she often seems to bulldoze to victory.

So, what does the future hold for the kid who took up badminton because she was naughty? Well, Chen has a formidable team behind her and arguably the best coaching resources in the world are in China; after she won at the All England this year she was quick to acknowledge the people whose know-how helped her. She has mentioned before that her ambition is to “see the Chinese flag rising” so I’m certain that she is eyeing Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020 as well as the top titles on the BWF tour. There’s lots of competition in the women’s game these days so it won’t be easy but who is going to beat her?

If you enjoyed reading this follow the link to my article about Tai Tzu Ying, Chen Yu Fei’s main rival for the World Number 1 spot https://womensbadminton.co.uk/2019/07/01/tai-tzu-ying-goddess-or-mortal/

You may also like to find out about An Se Young – the Korean has burst onto the badminton scene recently https://womensbadminton.co.uk/2019/07/08/an-se-young-koreas-sensational-17-year-old/

P V Sindhu – India’s Superstar

She is a badminton VIP in a cricket obsessed nation and is listed by Forbes as the highest earning non-tennis athlete in the world. How did she get to these heights?

I think it was written in the stars that her path led to sporting greatness – but why badminton?

The story goes that as a 6-year-old she was inspired to pick up a racket by Pullela Gopichand’s victory in the Men’s Singles at the All England Championships in 2001. After he wound down his playing career, he opened his academy in Hyderabad and before long she was training there. We all know that excellence is not an accident so what has driven her from an idealistic child to the sporting celebrity she is today

Gopichand has been crucial to her development. His 4am starts are the stuff of legend but there is more to this than simply being an early riser. Famously, three months prior to the Rio Olympics, he banned her from eating sugar or using her mobile. What a shrewd coach he is; by stressing the sacrifices she was making he was training her mind to focus on the target of a medal. It wasn’t a time for trivial things. The competition was a pivotal point when her game advanced to another level. She matched and despatched Tai Tzu Ying, Wand Yihan and Nozomi Okuhara, some of the best players in the sport.

She lost the Olympic final to Carolina Marin but returned home a superstar. Her life has never been the same.

Her powerful smashing game is thrilling to watch, her height – 179cm – allows her to dominate her opponents. She is happy to smash cross court and can exploit steep angles. I’ve heard it said that sometimes her defence is a bit suspect and that her height handicaps her ability to reach low shots. I don’t agree. She has a great reach, but sometimes she appears to be a bit methodical as she builds up a rally to the point where she can overwhelm her opponent. I consider patience to be the mark of a great player. Physically she is very strong and has the endurance to outlast anyone. She is very different to someone like Tai Tzu Ying who often relies on trickery; Sindhu is aggressive and goes out to seize her prizes.

QF WS against Nozomi – a great example of PV’s fight, technique and skill.

When we look at the players in the woman’s game there isn’t a huge difference in ability amongst the top 15; WS at the moment is overflowing with talent. What sets Sindhu apart is her gritty determination. Gopichand has celebrated this publicly and this famous quote from her sums up her attitude

“I am once again ready to roar for my next fight, to finish and win. No loss is ever enough…to stop me believing in myself.”

In December 2018 She won the BWF World Tour Finals tournament in Guangzhou – the first Indian to do so – beating Nozomi Okuhara in 2 games in the final. This was after failing to win a single tournament that year. After that great achievement 2019 has not started easily. She was beaten in the semi final of the Yonex-Sunrise India Open and the Sudirman Cup was not a successful outing for the Indian team. She often seems to be a player who raises herself up for big matches and perhaps finds the relentless grind of the tour a bit tiresome.

There is something missing at the moment. It may be that she and her coaches are rethinking her game in the run-up to the Tokyo Olympics and we are in the middle of the remodelling phase; or is she bored and needs a completely new approach? Whatever it is, this is a big game player who still has a lot to win. I hope she is given the support and access to the expertise she’s going to need to keep progressing.

My blog to celebrate Sindhu’s magnificent win in Basel at the World Championships is here https://womensbadminton.co.uk/2019/08/25/p-v-sindhu-world-champion/

If you enjoyed this then follow the link to my page about Saina Nehwal https://womensbadminton.co.uk/saina/ and here’s the link to my article about Saina https://womensbadminton.co.uk/2019/05/14/saina-nehwal-indias-beloved-champion/

Tai Tzu Ying: Taiwan’s Sporting Icon

Is Tai Tzu Ying the best ever women’s singles player?

My top takeaway from watching her at the All England Open Championships this year is that it would be impossible to name anyone else who plays in such an exciting way. She became World Number 1 back in 2016 after a dominant year and has been at the top ever since; winning back to back singles titles at the All England in 2017 and 2018.

A few years back when I first started watching her, I was confused by her unhurried style. She keeps smiling and keeps winning. No one is number 1 in the world by chance so I started to try and understand why she is so successful.

Photo credit Bonma Suriya/shutterstock.com

What sets her apart is her mind-blowing deception. She is a true artist: racket in hand, the quality of her trickery is amazing. Check out the compilation video posted by Shuttle Flash on YouTube. The variation in her game – the range of shots and angles – is staggering. She caresses the shuttle with deadly accuracy and finishes off rallies in jaw dropping style.

Video courtesy Shuttle Flash

Tai skims over the court and covers the corners with ease – moving in her own dance – all smooth agility and balance. She is so relaxed and at one with her game that her opponents have to put their foot on the gas to compete. Like many top sport stars time seems to expand to contain her talent.

She is a very brave player who is relentless in her pursuit of her opponent. This method of constantly daring her rival to match her sublime flair is exciting to watch but must be psychologically exhausting to play against…And, the best ever? Well, maybe not yet, she has no Olympic Gold, but the prospect of the women’s singles competition at Tokyo 2020 is just fascinating. Who do you think will win it? Chen Yufei? Or maybe Akane Yamaguchi? Let me know via comments.

There is stacks of talent in the women’s game at the moment but Tai Tzu Ying is extraordinary in her genius and I never get bored of her endless brilliance.

Follow the link to my article which celebrates her triumph at the All England in 2020 https://womensbadminton.co.uk/2020/03/23/tai-tzu-ying-the-triple-champion/

If you enjoyed this take a look at my longer article about TTY https://womensbadminton.co.uk/2019/07/01/tai-tzu-ying-goddess-or-mortal/

and this piece about Akane, one of her main rivals for the World #1 spot https://womensbadminton.co.uk/2019/08/09/japans-akane-yamaguchi-hotter-than-july/

Current Status: EXCITED

What’s so good about the Yonex All England Championships?

It’s the chance to be inside a buzzing arena and witness sporting history being made. Will the exciting Japanese duo of Fukushima and Hirota justify their seeding at number 1? Or could another women’s doubles pair rise to challenge them?

For me, nothing compares to live matches. Firstly it’s a shared emotional experience. In Birmingham there will be about 15000 people brought together and we all want to see success and feel as though we played our part in it. I think that watching on TV simply doesn’t come close – it’s like comparing eating chocolates to just looking at the box. Getting caught up in the drama of the moment is a welcome escape from subjects like Brexit, terrible weather and single-use plastics.

This is the world’s best badminton competition and anyone who has ever picked up a racket will be stunned by the quality of the action. Excellence is not an accident though, no-one succeeds in this tournament just by turning up. Failure, sweat and hard, hard work will all contribute to eventual triumph.

I find there is a bittersweet joy in following sport; especially if emotions are tied to a particular performer or country. Tournaments can be a peculiar kind of torture when we stagger from one day to the next, not quite sure how things will end but not able to walk away. Dare we expect the unexpected?

What I talk about when I talk about badminton

Ladies don’t seem to talk much about sport, but as everyone knows, I’m no lady so I think it’s time to share why I’m passionate about badminton.

As it’s the fastest of all racket sports – at elite level shuttles can reach 200mph – reactions need to be high-speed. There are abrupt changes in direction and explosive jumps juxtaposed with deception and delicate net shots. I love the fact that the game is subtle and complex but it allows for physically powerful rampages around the court. To be a shrewd strategist is vital; no one gets to win without having their brain engaged. I’m an average player so I fit sport around life but I’ve come to appreciate that playing badminton and specifically doubles is a highlight of any day. When the doubles partnership clicks, practice pays off, tactics work and shots land. It’s a brilliant feeling to be part of. The things I inevitably pick over at 3am though are the missed shots: the net kill that got away, the serve flicked out beyond the back line and the disobedient legs that just did not move. In sport emotions can be on a roller coaster but running through that is the pleasure of being part of a team. There’s always someone by our side to shout encouragement, pull a great shot out of the bag or kick a little ass.

Is winning important? Of course I’d be lying if I said otherwise, but there is a lot more to sport and life than just that. Small victories, improved technique, better fitness, making new friends, these all add to my love of a game that frustrates and rewards me, often at the same time.

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BWF World Championships August 2019 Update

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