Prakash Padukone: Polished Nehwal in Prime Form for Rio Medal

The former badminton player said that Saina Nehwal has upped her game by adding more variations to it.

Saina Nehwal is better equipped to win a medal in Rio in August 2016 than the Indian shuttler was when she claimed a bronze at the London Olympics four years ago, former All England champion Prakash Padukone told Reuters.

Hopes that the former world number one can turn bronze into a first Olympic gold medal for her country were raised when Nehwal won the Australian Superseries title.

Saina has a lot more variety now. Earlier her game was more or less predictable. She had a few strokes, she used to keep playing them and there were not many variations.

Prakash Padukone, Former World Number One

He added:

Now she has developed a lot more strokes, especially at the net. She is much more confident and that has made a big difference. 

The victory in Australia came at just the right time for the world number six, who had failed to reach a World Superseries final since last November in China and was returning from an Achilles injury she sustained at the end of last year.

Prakash Padukone, who will be a panellist for broadcaster Star Sports during the 2016 Games said:

Tactically she can do a little bit more. Maybe a plan A and plan B, which I’m sure she already has. 

He also said:

It’s just the question of a little bit of polishing. She definitely has everything, otherwise she wouldn’t have been where she is.

China has long been the dominant force in the sport, sweeping all five titles at London four years ago, but ahead of Rio, their shuttlers no longer top the world rankings.

World Badminton has also limited each nation to two singles entrants in each event - down from the three at London and previous Games - and Padukone feels that makes a Chinese sweep of badminton gold in Rio less likely.

Earlier when the draw used to come, everybody used to hope there are no Chinese. That’s no longer the case, that fear is not there anymore. That’s good for the game. For the Indians, though they wouldn’t say it, it used to be a mind-block.

Prakash Padukone 

India’s best chance of medals will come in the women’s singles, Padukone said, where apart from Nehwal they have PV Sindhu ranked 10th in the world.

Padukone said the most important thing for the Indian shuttlers was to peak during the August 11-20 Rio competition.

When you go there it doesn’t matter if in the last two months you have beaten all the top players and you have been the world number one.

Prakash Padukone

He added:

It’s important that you reach the peak and play your best during that particular week. That’s what will count ultimately and will be the key.

(This article has been published in an arrangement with Reuters.)