Archive · 15 Aug 2026

Nehwal: Medal tally, not hosting, defines India's sporting status

Nehwal: Medal tally, not hosting, defines India's sporting status

Saina Nehwal is a very famous Indian badminton player who was once the best in the world.

She says a country can only call itself a sporting nation if it wins lots of medals.

Just hosting big games, like the Olympics, is not enough.

She wants India to work hard to win many more medals.

She says young athletes need money and help from a young age to keep playing.

Many sports do not pay well, so players give up.

Cricket players have secure jobs and salaries, and she wants other sports to be like that.

She also says athletes need more coaches, trainers, and psychologists to perform well.

She noticed that girls in India, especially from Haryana, are doing very well in sports now.

She hopes this will spread across the whole country so India can become a true sporting nation.

Sources