Coach Pullela Gopichand tells DNA that the pressure sometimes plays on Saina’s mind.
It has been a pretty ordinary year so far for Saina?
Saina had an injury to begin the year with and had to work around it. But a title (Swiss Open) in the early part of the season is creditable. If she doesn’t perform throughout the year, then you can say that. Still, I think, she has the whole year ahead of her and she will come back strong.
Is the injury still a worry?
She has been training with the strap (to her ankle). I think playing with it is not so easy. It’s been a while she has been playing with it and soon will be at her best.
Does the weight of expectations bother her?
I would say yes, it does. For her ranking, she gets a top-3 billing in so many tournaments. She is expected to win every time she goes out to play. So that is definitely a big factor.
So the pressure is always there...
She has handled it well to my understanding. Three titles and a gold last year means she has absorbed it well. Since her revelation in the last Olympics, she has not been as inconsistent as being put up.
Is this an ideal build-up to the 2012 Olympics?
The situation is different right now. There is still time before the 2012 Games. I don’t think she is bothered about the Olympics now. In between, she has the Worlds and a few titles to defend. So she has a lot to do before she starts thinking about the London Games.
What are you doing to get her campaign back on track?
For now, there is nothing to worry as such. Saina needs a streak of luck to go her way along with the hard work that she is putting in.
Peter Gade said Saina needs to be quicker on her feet?
There is always a lot to learn when a player like Peter, who is a top-notch guy, points out. And learning in badminton is always an ongoing process.
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