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‘Triumph a balm for Beijing pain’
Saina Nehwal's victory in the Chinese Taipei Grand Prix would have surely eased the pain of her quarterfinal loss in the Beijing Olympics, reports Anupma Tripathi.
Great achievements build a monument which shall endure until the sun grows cold. —George Fabricius
Saina Nehwal's victory in the Chinese Taipei Grand Prix would have surely eased the pain of her quarterfinal loss in the Beijing Olympics.
On Sunday, the 19-year-old, winner of the 2006 Philippines Open, became the first Indian woman to have two Grand Prix titles under her belt. Saina's father, Harvir Singh, was satisfied but conceded he was finding it difficult to erase memories of the defeat in Beijing. "I couldn't believe when she lost to Maria Kristin Yulianti (of Indonesia in the quarterfinal). Saina was heartbroken, as she had given her best for the Games. The future had something else in store for her. The triumph in the Chinese GP has definitely brought some respite. Her draw was tough. To be pitted against the opponent who had beaten Maria in the semifinal was no mean feat. But she came out on top," he said.
On whether he had spoken to Saina, Harvir said his daughter had called in the morning. "She called to inform about the victory. From then on, I have been surfing the Internet to get the details of her match."
Chanbranshu Nehwal was happy on her younger sister's feat in Taipei. "We used to speak while the tournament was on and I could sense her (Beijing) disappointment. After winning, she talked about her hunger to win the All-England next year and the 2012 London Olympics. She wants to win every tournament she features in and we'll stand by her through thick and thin," the proud sister said.
