India badminton star Saina Nehwal will not be a part of the 2022 Commonwealth Games squad and 2014 CWG goal medallist shuttler husband, Parupalli Kashyap has spoken in her defence.
The 2010 and 2018 CWG goal medal-winning shuttler was not named in the Indian women's badminton team for the Birmingham event (July 28 to August 8) by the Badminton Association of India.
Kashyap highlighted the disrespect shown to Saina by her own people.
Emotional wreck
“It's about the amount of disrespect shown to a player. It's about your own people treating you like s***. She's been in tears often, and the issue of non-selection crops up in conversations every second day when she speaks. It's very very tough to even practice, and you are not sure, mentally, whether you are preparing to fight your own people or opponents. Your intentions in the match go all wrong in such times, and it's a terrible mind space," Kashyap was quoted as saying by Indian Express.
No arrogance
“It's a wrong notion that she's arrogant because she doesn't talk that much. She just minds her own business. No doubt what happened spurred her on, but this situation was not required. They should've given her minimum respect of (having) a chat. If you want to be strict, I understand, but a simple chat is not a free ride. You could've disciplined her in a chat, speaking to her. No one replied to her messages. It's extremely hurtful,” he added.
India's five-member women's team for CWG includes PV Sindhu, Aakarshi Kashyap, Gayatri Gopichand, Treesa Jolly and Ashwini Ponnappa.
