Saina Nehwal in action against Neha Pandit from Maharashtra during the quarterfinal at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium on Friday. She won 2-0 to move into the semifinals. Picture by Eastern Projections

Wednesday afternoon at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium in Amingaon. Preparations were afoot for the badminton event of the National Games to begin. Among the officials and players, one young girl stood out, practising on one of the courts, shutting out the world to concentrate on her game.

That’s why 17-year-old Saina Nehwal from Andhra Pradesh is a champion — a teen prodigy and the next big hope of Indian badminton. She has already made her mark at the international level, rising to 21 in the world rankings.

After her match, a former champion approached Saina. “Oh Sir, it’s so nice to meet you. I have heard a lot about you,” the national champ beamed. It was Dipankar Bhattacharjee, former champion and Olympian.

What happens when the past catches up with the present? A peek into the future, perhaps?

The Telegraph brings you excerpts of an exclusive interview of Nehwal by Bhattacharjee, a man who knows what life on the circuit is all about.

Q: Is this your first trip to Guwahati? What about the arrangements here?

A: Yes, this is my first trip to Guwahati and also my first National Games. The accommodation and food arrangements are good. The courts here are of international standards. I hope they maintain it and conduct many more tournaments here. As sportspersons we are very concerned about getting injured when the courts are not perfect.

Q: Are you staying at the Games Village?

A: No, I am staying at a hotel with my parents. I believe the arrangements at the village are good and the place is abuzz with activity. When I go for tournaments, I like to remain in solitude and focus only on my game.

Q. You recently won your maiden senior national title in Patna. How does it feel?

A: I was very happy to win the national title. But it was nothing to feel great about! The last two times I finished as runner-up and lost to Aparna Popat. I knew it was coming. Moreover, I started winning international titles even before winning the national title. The Philippines Open title came to me after I beat some of the world’s top players.

Q: Having achieved the ultimate in the country at such a young age, how important is the National Games to you? What kind of preparation have you made particularly for the Games?

A: I feel the National Games is as important as the senior nationals. It is important to win the Games and keep my position intact. It is not going to be easy as all the players are playing well and they are also working hard. I have made no special preparations as I always work hard to keep fit for each and every tournament.

Q: You have probably seen and played against players from Assam. What do you think are their strengths and weaknesses?

A: When I was young, I used to hear a lot about players from Assam and everyone in the circuit used to fear Assam. Today, the players are not producing the desired results. There could be several factors. Maybe they are not putting in enough hard work or perhaps they are not focused.

Q: What is the highest goal you aim for? Where do you go from here?

A: My aim is to win an Olympic gold and I am really focused on that one prime goal in life. I think it is possible and I am getting close to it as I am able to compete with the best in the world. As for my future plans, I want to win as many international tournaments as possible and improve my world ranking. Next, I’ll play the European Circuit consisting of the German Open from February 27, the all-England meet from March 6 and the Swiss Open from March 13.

Q: What do you think is the basic difference between our players and the players from top badminton playing countries?

A: Speed and fitness are two main factors that differentiate us from them. Whereas we take two steps to reach the shuttle, they cover it in one step. They play a lot of attacking strokes while Indian players depend on rallies. Playing slow rallies and making an opening for them doesn’t work at the international level. I believe in matching pace for pace and playing an attacking game. If they are fast, we have to be fast too. The only thing is that we have to put in more hard work. The Chinese practice 14 hours a day and we practice for eight to nine hours. We need to bridge that gap too. Also, after playing at a very fast pace, we can take a breather by slowing down the pace. For that, one needs to have a very good defence, because the opponent will attack anyway.

Q: What role does your mentor Gopi Chand and his academy play in shaping your career?

A: After joining Gopi sir’s academy, I have done well in international events. I won the Indian Satellite meet beating Aparna Popat. I became the World Junior Runner-up and then won the Philippines Open. And now, I have won the national championship. All this was possible with the help of Gopi sir, because he has played at the highest level and knows what kind of training suits me and will help me reach that rung.

Q: Who is your role model?

A: I admire Taufik Hidayat from Indonesia, the men’s world champion in badminton, and tennis star Roger Federer. I like their composure even during the most difficult of situations.