Saina confident of good show in Olympic year

Hyderabad: Ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal has recovered from her ankle injury and is looking forward to having a great run in 2012, the year of London Olympics.

"This year there are some ups and downs because of the ankle injury. But still, I managed to play four finals and won one title in March. I reached the semifinals of Japan Open. I saw my form coming back in recent times. I am happy that I got my confidence back. I used to feel little weak, especially my ankle, now I am much better," said Saina. "The year 2012 is going to be big as Olympics is there. I hope that I win big matches before Olympics. That adds to the confidence. But still, there is lot of time left for it. There are seven-eight months.” "We will get two months or so before Olympics to train in areas in which I am weak. So we will have to look at it and plan accordingly," she told reporters at a commercial event here. Saina said she had a reasonably good year considering the injuries that plagued her. "I was losing to few of the lower opponents. I was not happy about it. Finally, when I got back into the tournament, I was just thinking that it is going to be tough. I was scared. We did few things which made by mind more relaxed and especially it was all about mental conditioning.” "I was taking too much unnecessary pressure. That is what me and Gopi sir discussed, I think it really worked very well. Another three, four days to go for the Korean, Malaysian Open. Again in two weeks, I could hardly do anything extra, but I am going with the confidence that I will do well in these two tournaments," she said. Asked about the high expectations from her to win a medal in the Olympics, Saina said she wanted to remain calm and focused on her game. "It is not unfair. Because, I have won so many events, people want me to win. Me, being the single person get the kind of pressure. But I have to handle that. I have to do something for my mind to relax. To be focused.” "I want to do well for my country. I want to win medal for them. That can happen only if I keep away all these things from my mind," she said. PTI