Saina Nehwal says non-cricket winners should be celebrated as badminton shifts to 3x15
Saina Nehwal said during a virtual interaction on September 26, 2026, while serving on Sony Sports Network’s expert panel for its coverage of the 2026 Asian Games, that she “will be happy as long as medal winners from other sports are [also] celebrated” and commented on the new 3x15 scoring system set to come into force from January 2027.
The 36-year-old former world No.1, who won an Olympic medal and World championship honours, chuckled when asked if the shorter format might tempt her back to competitive badminton and acknowledged she cannot meet the sport’s physical demands now. “I wish I could come back, but I have total cartilage damage,” she said. “My knee is in a seriously bad shape. I cannot push for more than half an hour. But yes, I really do want to play.”
Nehwal predicted the change to a 3x15 points structure will benefit current players such as P.V. Sindhu, 31, noting Sindhu’s support team and movement. “The good thing is that Sindhu has the best physiotherapist and trainer. This is really helpful. Her court movement is very good,” she said, and added that “From next year, when the points system shifts to 3x15, matches will get shorter. You will get a lot of recovery time between fixtures. There are big breaks between Super 1000 tournaments too, which guarantees good rest periods.”
On longevity under the new scoring, Nehwal warned about training risks and injury. “The new scoring system will tilt the game towards power and speed. But when you train for power and speed, chances of getting injured are higher. If Sindhu can take care to avoid injuries, she can play for a long time,” she opined, and suggested shorter matches could extend careers: “Careers will extend longer because the matches are shorter. Any player can win tournaments in that scenario.”
Turning to India’s next generation, Nehwal praised Unnati Hooda and Tanvi Sharma for attitude and skill while urging further progress from players such as Devika Sihag. “In terms of attitude and skill, Tanvi and Unnati have a very bright future. They have gained experience and produced results. Devika [Sihag] and the other players need to improve a bit more. “There are challenges – how do you make a comeback from a loss? How much do you train on a regular basis? Are you ready to push yourself and not give up? As far as I have seen, Tanvi and Unnati don’t give up. They keep fighting. They have the best coaches too. Tanvi is training under Park [Tae-sang], while Unnati is training with her father,” she stated.
Nehwal rated 2024 Paris Olympics gold medallist An Se-young, 24, as a standout at world level and recalled their 1-1 head-to-head. She praised An’s rallying, diving, stroke speed and court coverage and observed the South Korean’s continued hunger for victory: “Even after having won the Olympic gold and so many titles, you can still see that hunger to win. When she lost recently, you saw her crying. A player with that sort of desire is tough to defeat.”
Addressing recognition for athletes in India, Nehwal argued consistent results are necessary outside cricket and described the attention she needed to attract public interest during her career. “In India, the problem is that if you perform in any sport apart from cricket, you don’t get much importance unless you win tournaments. Tanvi and Unnati have won tournaments, and that’s why everyone is talking about them. You have to show results and win consistently. That is when you get popular in this country.” She added: “I will be happy as long as medal winners from other sports are [also] celebrated. We expect the Indian cricket team to win medals at the Asian Games and the Olympics. But this could mean that medallists from other sports might feel bad if they don’t receive the same encouragement as the cricketers. “I have a feeling that [even] if they (non-cricket sportspersons) win a gold medal, they will get sidelined. In that scenario, I will feel bad because only cricket gets the support.”
Nehwal also reflected on the personal and financial factors behind sporting success, saying parents’ support was crucial and recounting how she had to win repeatedly to gain notice: “To win even a couple of Super Series tournaments is very, very challenging for Indian players. If there is no financial support, we should not expect to win a single title. “When my parents took the risk to support my badminton dreams, they did not think much about the great financial rewards I may get. They just wholeheartedly supported me, and luckily I could come back with so many good results. But how many parents can do this? It’s not that easy.” She added, “Having said that, I also feel sad that after winning 24 international titles and an Olympic medal, many people confuse me with tennis player Sania Mirza.”
Nehwal is part of Sony Sports Network’s expert panel for its coverage of the 2026 Asian Games and spoke about the impending shift to the 3x15 scoring format, which is set to come into force from January 2027.