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I would love to be number one this year: Saina
Way ahead of the targets she set for 2010, Indian badminton ace Saina Nehwal on Thursday said she is now aiming to be the world number one by the end of this year.
New Delhi: Way ahead of the targets she set
for 2010, Indian badminton ace Saina Nehwal on Thursday said she is
now aiming to be the world number one by the end of this year.
"I wanted to be in the top-five bracket by this year end.
but I have already reached the number three ranking. I reached
my targets very fast in my career. So number one is also not
far. I would love to reach there by this year end," Saina said
on the sidelines of a felicitation function by the Indian
Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) here.
"This year my aim is to do well in the World
Championships, Commonwealth Games and also the Asian Games. I
have to put in a lot of hard work and I am confident of doing
well," she added.
Saina won a hat-trick of titles -- the Indian Open Grand
Prix Gold and the Singapore Open Super Series before defending
the Indonesian Open Super Series in Jakarta recently -- but
the 20-year-old said she would not let success go to her head.
"It was not easy winning 15 matches on the trot but I did
it and I am happy to get all this media attention but I will
not allow success to go to my head and will stay focused,"
Saina said.
The Hyderabadi dreams of winning the Olympic Gold and she
will go for it in the 2012 London Games.
"My dad wanted me to be a doctor but I chose badminton.
He told me `do whatever you want but give your 100 per cent.`
In 2008, he wanted me to win an Olympic medal but I couldn`t.
It`s a dream to win that in 2012," she said.
Saina credited her success to her parents.
"I am proud of my parents. They never compromised on my
racquet or shuttles, which are so expensive. I never realised
their sacrifices then, now I know about the loans that my
father used to take so that I could pursue badminton," she
said.
"My mother is very strong. She always used to tell me
that I should think I am Roger Federer of badminton and never
be afraid and it has helped me a lot in my career. I never get
bogged down by the ranking of my opponent," she added.
PTI
PTI