Saina Nehwal retires from competitive badminton, cites chronic knee condition

NEW DELHI: Indian badminton legend and Olympics medal winner Saina Nehwal has retired from competitive badminton. The 35-year-old has said that her retirement is due to a knee injury and physical difficulties. The player has been away from the game for the past two years due to health issues.

'I had stopped playing two years ago. I entered the sport on my own terms and left on my own terms, so there was no need to announce it. If you are not capable of playing anymore, that's it. My cartilage is completely destroyed, I have arthritis. I have told my parents and coaches that I can't play anymore, it is difficult. Slowly, people will realise that Saina will not play anymore. So, there is no need for an announcement.

I didn’t think announcing my retirement is such a big matter. I felt that my time was up, my knee couldn't perform like before. To be the best in the world, I have to train for eight to nine hours. Now my knee is starting to get tired in one or two hours. That is why I thought enough is enough. I can't go on anymore," Saina said in a podcast.

Saina Nehwal, a native of Haryana, came to the world's attention after winning the World Junior Championships in 2008. She reached the quarterfinals of the Olympics the same year. Saina, who won the Arjuna Award in 2009 and the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award in 2010, is the first Indian woman to be ranked number one in the world in badminton.

She won a bronze medal at the London Olympics in 2012. A knee injury suffered in the 2016 Rio Olympics severely affected Saina's career. Later, Saina made a strong comeback by winning a bronze medal at the World Championships in 2017 and a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2018, but the knee injury became more complicated.