'I can't do it anymore': Saina Nehwal, 35, announces retirement

NEW DELHI: India's prima badminton subordinate Saina Nehwal has confirmed her status from competitory badminton arsenic she revealed connected Monday that a chronic genu information had near her incapable to header with the carnal demands of elite sport.

The 2012 London Olympic bronze medallist past appeared successful contention astatine the Singapore Open successful 2023, though she chose not to formally denote her determination astatine the time.

Explaining her approach, Saina said connected a podcast, “I had stopped playing 2 years back. I really felt that I entered the athletics connected my ain presumption and near connected my ain terms, truthful determination was nary request to denote it.” She added, “If you are not susceptible of playing anymore, that’s it.

It’s fine.”The erstwhile satellite No. 1 said her determination was driven by terrible genu degeneration that made sustained grooming impossible. Detailing the aesculapian reality, she explained, "Your cartiledge has wholly degenerated, you person arthritis, that's what my parents needed to cognize that, my coaches needed to cognize that, and I conscionable told them, 'Now astir apt I can't bash it anymore, it is difficult'.""Slowly radical volition besides realise that Saina is not playing," she added.

“I didn’t deliberation it was specified a large substance to denote my retirement. I conscionable felt my clip was up due to the fact that I couldn’t propulsion much, that my genu is not capable to propulsion similar before."Highlighting the opposition with her highest years, Saina noted, "You bid 8 to 9 hours to beryllium the champion successful the world, present my genu was giving up successful 1 oregon 2 hours. It was swelling and it became precise pugnacious to propulsion aft that. So I thought it’s enough. I can’t propulsion it anymore.”Her vocation was importantly affected by a genu wounded sustained astatine the Rio 2016 Olympics. While she mounted a beardown comeback with a World Championships bronze successful 2017 and Commonwealth Games golden successful 2018, recurring issues persisted. In 2024, she revealed she has arthritis and worn cartilage successful her knees.