‘There was pain in my knee, I wasn’t able to play well’

Rohit Mahajan

Tribune News Service 

Rio de Janeiro, Aug 14

Saina Nehwal winced as she spoke, and though she didn’t cry, she was very close to tears. “Heartbreaking loss,” she said through gritted teeth. Saina won’t climb the podium here. Her bronze from London won’t be joined by a Rio medal.  She’s been knocked out in the group stage, she won’t figure in the actual knockouts.

Saina lost to Ukraine’s Marija Ulitina 18-21 19-21 in her and final Group G match today. With two wins from two games, Marija goes into the pre-quarterfinals; with one win and one loss, Saina is out.

“There was a pain in my knee, and I wasn't able to play well,” Saina said, displaying her heavily-strapped right knee. “I could play only after taking a dexamethasone injection to bring down inflammation and pain. I wasn’t able to move at all. I tried my best to overcome the pain and pay to the best of my ability, but it just wasn’t possible today.” Saina’s injury wasn’t caused during matches; she hurt her knee during training and it got worse during her tough match against Brazil’s Lohaynny Vicente.

“I picked up the injury just before the Olympic Games,” Saina said. “I tried my best, but my movements were not smooth. It was quite painful.”

Tough game

It showed during the match. Marija Ulitina is No. 61 in the world; Saina Nehwal is the world No. 5, and the No. 5 seed here. It should have been a no-contest in normal circumstances. But with Saina hobbled by pain, the game became a contest. Saina led 7-1 in the first game before Marija got close up with her at 8-9, and then caught up with the Indian at 14-14. Then Marija got ahead at 16-15, and Saina never got ahead in the game after that. Marija reeled off three points in a row to go up 20-17. Saina saved one match point but that was all.

In the second game, Saina again began well, going up 4-1, but Marija got four points in a row and then led at 6-5. Yet again, it was neck and neck until 15-15. Saina went up 17-15, and yet again the Ukrainian reeled three points in a row to go up 18-17. Saina fought on, but she just could not last. The knee was too painful.

Not able to stretch

Her coach Vimal Kumar was pained by the loss, too. “She just wasn’t able to stretch today,” he said. “She had developed more pain on her knee after her first round match and had been administered dexamethasone injection. This was to bring down the inflammation and pain.”

“She has fat pad inflammation of the knee and has been taking treatment one week prior to our departure for Rio,” he added. “She herself decided to take the injection after consulting the IOC doctors here and they have given her that in the Olympic Village clinic.”

Vimal said that the team had been aware of Saina’s condition, but it had been kept hush-hush. “We hoped she would get relief from pain  today but did not get the desired relief,” Vimal added.