Saina Nehwal says India must top medals table to be called a sporting nation
Former world No. 1 shuttler and Olympics medallist Saina Nehwal on Saturday, August 15, 2026, told attendees at the 'Malhar' inter-collegiate festival at St. Xavier's College in Mumbai that India will have to be at the top of the medals tally to be called a sporting nation.
Nehal said the situation for sport in India has changed, particularly for women, but added more work remains to be done. “Somewhere women are realizing that we are capable, we can do well,” she said, and added: “Last 15-20 years, I can see huge change in sports especially because I keep looking at matches and I keep seeing that, especially lot of girls from Haryana, they are doing extremely well in sports and wrestling, boxing, badminton is coming up.” She told the college audience she wants that progress to spread across the country: “I just want it to happen throughout the country so that we can be called as sporting nation in the future.”
On funding, Saina urged a system that provides financial backing to young athletes from the start, stressing that earning a living in most sports is difficult. “It's not about men or women, it's about giving your best because in sports it's not very easy to earn money. You feel, what's going to happen in sports? Unless you reach in top 15 or top 20, you won't even get good sponsorships (or) good funding,” she said, adding a contrast with cricket: “It's not like cricket… still you have to improve a lot more but if you are consistent, if you are performing well, of course you will get all kind of sponsorships but not many players are like so talented.”
She warned that inconsistent timing of results complicates talent development and called for earlier investment in promotion and sponsorship. “Sometimes the results come a little late, sometimes the results are a little early but everyone is looking forward to the performances, and that becomes very challenging. So, unless we improve the promotions, marketing, sponsorships from really early age, that is when I think we can get many more players,” Saina said.
Nehwal also pointed to gaps in support services around athletes, saying the lack of specialists undermines performance. “… that is the problem in most of the sports that you don't have psychologists, you don't have proper trainers and proper physios,” she said, while acknowledging recent improvements: “Now, from last 5-6 years, they have improved it but we need lot of psychologists, lot of mental trainers in our sports so that out of 10, at least six of them can perform. Otherwise, from your own will, from your own fighting attitude, there are only 2-3 people who can do well.”
She described the pressures faced by top performers and linked greater financial security to longer careers and sustained performance. “… being in top 10 of the world and consistently being there, coming out of injuries, coming out of that same stress, there will be lot of people who will be trolling you,” Saina said, adding: “Very few will appreciate you but everyday taking that stress and being the best is not easy in sports. I think it can only change when you have lot more security like how it is in cricket.” She continued: “At least when you play best in the world, you have that salary system, you have that job system and then you can take it as your profession. But other sports still are lacking behind it and that's why many of them just lose the interest and they say that we don't want to play.”
On the prospects for producing more elite athletes, Nehwal pointed to young players’ appetite for structured training and the need for stronger support teams. “But otherwise, training wise, there are so many kids who want to do perfect training and now the only difference can happen is good psychologist, good team and that is when you can produce lot more champions.”