Shuttler Saina Nehwal eyes comeback in December, says her best is yet to come

Hyderabad, Sep 8: India's leading badminton player Saina Nehwal says she wants to come back into competitive action stronger after recovering from a knee surgery and indicated that her best may be yet to come.

Saina Nehwal may be out of action for 4 months

"I want to come back stronger", she told PTI on Thursday (Sep 8).

"I am confident that in the next two-three years I can do better than what I have done in the last five-six years. I have to do better," the ace shuttler added.

Saina expects to recover fully by December if things go as planned.

"If everything goes right, I am keen to take part in Dubai World Superseries Finals during that month". "I want to come back into competitive action only after I become 100 per cent fit," she said.

Saina, a former world number one, failed to progress to the knock-out stage in Rio Olympics in a shock early exit from the competition and returned to India with unbearable pain in right knee. She underwent surgery last month at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai for broken bone below kneecap.

A physio is now working with her as part of rehab process, and a trainer would join later this month. Saina last month dropped four places to be number nine in the latest world rankings.

She would miss the coming Japan, Denmark and France Superseries, and it may impact her ranking adversely. She agreed that slipping in rankings is a matter of worry, noting she became world number two in 2009 but took seven years to reach the top position.

Saina said she was very keen to do well in Rio but it turned out to be a "disaster" following the knee pain.

"May be God wished like this, may be I will become stronger", she said.

PTI