Bangalore: Basking in glory after winning a bronze at the London Olympics, star shuttler Saina Nehwal says it was very tough for her to win the medal in a sport dominated by the Chinese.
"It was very tough for me to achieve this because I think in badminton every one knows Chinese are the best, they have like 9-10 players (at the top level). And it`s very tough to fight against them," she said after nutrition company Herbalife felicitated her and M C Mary Kom for their feats.
Saina said she felt proud of herself as she became the first Indian to win a bronze in badminton at Olympics. "This (winning the bronze) is a great motivation for me and this will really help me do well in the future."
She said it`s a dream for every player to stand on the podium.
Mary, who won bronze in boxing, said she tried to win gold but had to settle for the third place. The mother of two from Manipur said she would try her best to win gold in the next Olympics at Rio de Janeiro.
The five-time world champion asked for more support and prayers in the run-up to the next Games.
Saina said while she is looking forward to the Rio Games, there is still a lot of time for that.
"Before that I just want to stay fit and be ready for the upcoming events."
Herbalife India Country Head, Ajay Khanna, handed over Rs five lakh cheque each to Mary and Saina as reward for their achievements.
The company announced a renewal of of its brand endorsement partnership with Saina for a year and continued its association with Mary. Khanna also announced a life-time supply of Herbalife inner nutrition products for both the stars.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, August 22, 2012, 16:24