Gopichand tips for Saina

NEW DELHI: Saina Nehwal has the potential to be the world No.1 but she urgently needs a travelling physio to retain her fitness, feels national badminton coach Pullela Gopichand.

Beijing Olympics quarterfinalist, Saina, moved into the elite zone of top 10 players on Thursday and immediately set herself a new target of breaking into the top five next year.

“Saina has 8-10 years of international badminton ahead of her. She has the potential to be the No.1 provided she remains injury-free. For that she urgently needs a travelling physiotherapist who can chart out a specific fitness plan for her,” Gopichand, the former All England Champion, said.

“Fitness has been her strong point till date but women’s badminton is very tiresome. There are long matches and you need the stamina to do well consistently,” he added.

Elated to see Saina go from strength to strength, Gopichand said the 18-year-old has always been a quick learner. “She has done tremendously well. She is a quick learner and you have to be really good to be within top 10.”

Reckoning that winning tournaments will be more important than focusing on ranking, Gopichand said Saina would look for a consistent podium finish in the upcoming tournaments.

“Rankings are indicative of how you play in that period. It is good to have high rankings but podium finish is more important.”