It's a killing calendar: Saina Nehwal

NEW DELHI: Saina Nehwal has expressed her unwillingness to play in the Asian Badminton Championship. Her letter to Badminton Association of India (BAI) is a fallout of the world governing body's (BWF) new 15-tournamnent rule per year, out of which players must play 12.
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Stingingly forthright, Saina termed it as a "killing schedule" on Wednesday after she breezed past her first round opponent in the India Open at the Siri Fort Complex.
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"It is not easy for people to understand what we go through. I am not 20 anymore. I have to keep myself fit to be able to play for long and you see the calendar. It is a killing calendar and we don't know when and how and which tournaments we will play and what happens next.
"I know people want me to play and want me to be there but what is the point when people speak 'Saina lost' and say 'Saina is out of form'. Then I have to face it, nobody else. It is a funny thing but I feel bad. I cry sometime because it is not easy to take."
As Saina was speaking her mind, fifth-seed HS Prannoy, struggling with corns, had to go through the motions in his first round match. He spent exactly 13 minutes on court to make up the numbers.
When the world No. 12 was appraised of Prannoy's plight, she said, "I tell you the sport is killing. It is a tough calendar for players. I just feel that it should be reduced. I understand the point of sponsorship and money. But it should not be at the cost of players' fitness. It should not lead to a condition where players are not going to play well and not give their best. Then we will not have a champion, we will only have tournaments."
Opting out of Asian Badminton Championships may raise a lot of nationalistic eyebrows. Keeping that in mind, Saina clarified, "You have to understand that I still need time. It is not that I haven't played for India. I have played enough Uber Cup and every time I played, I have won all my matches. I have planned it in such a way that I have got good results in team events and big events."
For this year, she is looking at the Commonwealth Games in April and Asian Games in August. "I am focused on these two tournaments."
As for Prannoy, he said he had already missed the Indonesian and Malayasian Open because of injury.
"If I had not played this one, there would be a backlog which will be difficult to clear at the end of the year."