I can win the 10th national title: Aparna Popat

BANGALORE, Oct 22: Nine-time national champion Aparna Popat wants to make it ten-in-a-row and says that it was God who "helped" her win the singles title last time as she was playing with an injury.
"I have done it nine times before, and once you have done it before it automatically follows that you can do it one more time. That's how I look at it," said the ace shuttler.
The veteran player revealed that she played with injury in the last nationals and still won.
"I played the last nationals with injury. By the grace of God, pain didn't come during the tournament, and pain was right there in the morning after the finals. So, God helped me. There is no other explanation", she said.
Aparna is nursing a ligament strain on her right wrist, something that was troubling her for last one-and-half-years and said she hopes to be fully fit in two months.
"I don't know if I will be ready to play in the Asian satellite. All depends on my wrist".
As she is not part of the Indian team bound for Doha Asiad in December, National Championship in January in Patna is something that's firmly on her mind.
"With this injury, I will have to work doubly hard", she said.
Asked if she saw Saina Nehwal as her "successor", she said, "I would not say successor. But yes, she has been playing very well...what we need now for her to do is play well abroad which she already is. So, we are just hoping that she makes a mark for the country abroad. Wouldn't be a successor but want somebody to represent India as a whole and do well abroad".
"If she works on her strong points, she can do well abroad", Aparna added.