Saina's Super Streak

The 25-year-old has shown maturity beyond her years in dealing with the pressure of being one of India’s leading sports icons. And the shuttler’s calm has translated into momentous gains for both her and the country.

- Kathakali Chanda

As you approach the last leg of the 30-odd-km stretch that connects the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport with Gachibowli, Hyderabad’s northwestern suburb, gleaming glass-and-chrome facades dotting the horizon remind you of what awaits in some distance. After you turn the corner at the toll gate and cruise ahead, Hyderabad’s premier business district is upon you. Old timers will tell you that even a decade and a half ago, this area resembled a jungle. But as the growing city sprawled northwards, Gachibowli and its adjoining areas became one of the most aspirational addresses in the state. The old Mumbai highway that runs through it straddles on either side high-rises housing Indian and global business bellwethers and fallow plots with building foundations spearing out, indicating their towering aspirations.

The story of nouveau Hyderabad’s meteoric rise heralds that of one of its most famous residents. Around the time Gachibowli was still a village, an eight-year-old had just shifted from Hisar in Haryana to Hyderabad’s Rajendranagar. The move from Haryanvi Hindi to Telugu wasn’t that smooth and, as the child got a little lonely, her parents sent her off to play a sport—first karate and then badminton—just so that she would kill some time. Little did they know that the girl would turn out to be a giant-killer on court and, 15 years on, bring the country the game’s top honours. Meet Saina Nehwal, shuttler, SRK fangirl, Olympic medallist, and a rare Indian to reach the World No 1 ranking in an individual sport.