It is the responsibility of top athletes to look after the sports administration: Nehwal

Pune: London Olympics bronze medallist shuttler Saina Nehwal feels involvement of former top athletes in the administrative roles can lift the standard of Indian sports. The shuttler, who has won the Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit (SOM) election of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) polls, said she feels the need to give it back to the sport. “It is a very good sign that sports is now being looked after by people who have played at the highest level. A lot of knowledge can be shared among these sportspersons, who come from different disciplines. Whatever knowledge I have gained from badminton, I will be able to share with the athletes, and similarly, I can learn from their experiences. We can collectively discuss what is required to build more champions and strengthen the sporting system in India,” she told TOI. “We have the Commonwealth Games coming up, and we are also looking at hosting the Olympics. Having experienced sportspersons in sports administration will only help improve our results and medal tally,” she said. Saina has won an Olympic medal and has recently retired from active badminton. She feels staying in touch with the sport makes it better for the administrators to understand the need of the sport better. “As you grow older, you begin to understand what it takes to make a champion and what all is required to achieve that. When I look at countries such as China and Korea, I notice that their sports associations are often headed by people who have themselves performed at the highest level and won Olympic medals. I strongly believe that experienced sportspersons who have performed at the highest level should be involved in every aspect of sports administration. They understand what is happening on the ground and what athletes actually need. They travel extensively with players and understand the challenges they face.” On the possibility of her contesting for the post of the president, she said, “I don't know. Whether it is me or any other sportsperson, it hardly matters. What matters is that we work together to improve Indian sport and increase our medal tally. We should aim to reach the level of countries such as China and America. The position of president or any other post will obviously have a name associated with it. But ultimately, the important thing is how we work together and what we can collectively achieve to win more medals for the country.”