Saina Nehwal is the youngest Indian woman shuttler to make a mark in the top twenty singles rankings of International Badminton Federation.

Her performances in the Asian circuit have been astonishing. Her exploits have been stunning and countless. She rightfully came in the limelight after she won the Philippines Open in 2006 – as the only Indian female badminton player to win a four star tournament. Saina had entered this tournament as an unseeded challenge and ranked 86 then; she claimed the title defeating Julia Xian Pei Wong of Malaysia and several higher ranked players including the top seed.

She became a semifinalist in the Singapore Open and then a quarterfinalist in the Thailand Open.

Earlier, Saina successfully went and won the Junior Czech Open in 2003 and gave a commendable performance in the 2004 Commonwealth Games despite which she could not reach the podium. Besides, she has also won Asian Satellite Badminton Tournament(India Chapter) twice.

Hyderabad-based Saina initially learnt the tricks of the sport under the guidance of S.M Arif – a Dronacharya awardee until the veteran retired. Presently, she is undergoing training under P. Gopichand at his academy.

Her parents have gone out and given all support - be it shifting their house near to the training centre or spending their savings. She is also the brand ambassador for the Save the Girl Child campaign, a government of India initiative.

	Finalist,World Junior Championships,2006
	Bronze medal, Commonwealth Games, (mixed team), 2006
	Title,Phillippines Open,2006
	Silver medal, second Youth Commonwealth Games team,2004
	Title, Asian Satellite Badminton Tournament (India Chapter)
	Title, Czechoslovakia Junior open tournament,2003