Saina to skip few tournaments in 2014 to focus on fitness

Last Updated : Dec 23 2013 | 6:01 PM IST

After a disappointing year in which she failed to win a single title, suffered injuries and saw her world ranking taking a dip, star shuttler Saina Nehwal has decided to skip a few tournaments in the New Year and, instead, focus on fitness.
"If I look back now I think I played a lot. Next year I will make sure that I skip a few tournaments and focus on my fitness and perform my best in a tournament," Saina told reporters at the prize distribution of the Usha All India Ladies and Junior Girls Amateur Golf Championship here today.
The London Olympics bronze medallist, who is currently ranked no. 8 after starting the year as the world's no. 3 in women's singles, said it will take her at least a month to reach her peak level of fitness.

"It will take time. I actually had put on a lot of weight also in between. So that really affected my movement. Now I am coming back to my good (level). I am feeling quite fit," said the 23-year-old Hyderabad shuttle ace.
"It might take one more month to come back to the best of my fitness but I will make sure that I keep maintaining it during tournaments," she said.
Saina said her performance during years, when there were major events like the Olympics or Asian Games, had been good in the recent past which was an encouraging sign as in 2014 there were the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland followed by the Asiad in Incheon, South Korea.

"2010 and 2012 were good. So it is good that those years when there was the Olympic Games, Asian Games or Commonwealth Games, were good. It is a good sign. This year wasn't that good.
"Next year I will try by working on my fitness, playing less tournaments and focusing more on training. I think I missed that this year. I played too many tournaments. My fitness was down and I could feel that my stamina was low. In the long matches my breathing was difficult, which wasn't right," she added.

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Saina to skip few tournaments in 2014 to focus on fitness