Indian badminton legend Saina Nehwal found herself at the center of a sports controversy following comments she made on a podcast. In the discussion, Nehwal expressed her view that while cricket enjoys immense popularity in India, sports like badminton, basketball, and tennis are physically more demanding.
Saina Nehwal clarifies badminton vs cricket debate
The comments sparked a reaction KKR batter Angkrish Raghuvanshi, who questioned Nehwal's stance on a social media platform. Raghuvanshi, in a now-deleted post, sarcastically suggested that Nehwal face a 150 kph bouncer from Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah.
"Let's see how she goes when Jasprit Bumrah bowls 150k's bumper at her head," Angkrish Raghuvanshi had stated in a post on his X account.
Angkrish Raghuvanshi Faces Backlash
Angkrish Raghuvanshi later deleted his controversial tweet but faced significant criticism for his remarks. He subsequently acknowledged making the comment, attributing it to immature humor. Raghuvanshi expressed regret for his actions and apologized for the offensive nature of his post.
Amidst the growing criticism, Saina Nehwal addressed the ongoing debate, emphasizing the demanding nature of both cricket and badminton. She clarified that while cricket carries inherent risks, both sports require exceptional athleticism and dedication. Nehwal stressed the importance of recognizing the challenges faced by athletes in all sports and the high level of fitness required to compete at the top level. She elaborated on her viewpoint during an interview with Shubankar Mishra's podcast.
“Will you play cricket to die? First of all. This is not my point. We are not talking about dying because death is reaching a very extreme stage. You are not going to the army and fighting somewhere. This is a game, to win or lose the game, you are playing to make your country proud. So here I will not go on that,” Nehwal said.
"Badminton is not only the sport which is the toughest sport. I am not saying that this game is the toughest. I included tennis, swimming and all the tough sports. I have also mentioned the tough ones. Do you think that without being tough it will be fun to play cricket? Isn't football tough? All the sports are tough. I mean that the game comparatively when you are batting it's more skill-based. I didn't say that if you don't have fitness how will you play at that level?," she added.
Saina Nehwal Fires Back
Saina Nehwal didn't shy away from a direct response to Angkrish Raghuvanshi's comments. She countered his claim by suggesting that if she had dedicated eight years to cricket, she would be capable of facing a bowler like Jasprit Bumrah. Conversely, she expressed doubt about the cricketer's ability to handle the intensity and skill required to return her badminton smash.
“How will you become Virat at that level? How will you become Rohit Sharma? So many players have to become like them. They can't. Only a few of them are like that. But I just feel that it's more of a skill-based sport. And bowlers, I agree. I won't die there. Why would I face Jasprit Bumrah anyways? If I had been playing for 8 years maybe I would have answered Jasprit Bumrah,” Nehwal further said.
"If Jasprit Bumrah plays badminton with me maybe he won't be able to take my smash. We should not fight with ourselves in our own country for these things. That's what I want to say. Every sport is best in its place. But I want to say give value to other sports as well. Otherwise, where will we get sporting culture from? And cricket, Bollywood will always be our focus," former World no.1 concluded.
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