Saina Nehwal predicts Olympic gold for Treesa-Gayatri, warns on injury gap

Saina Nehwal has backed India's women's doubles pair Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand to win an Olympic gold in Los Angeles 2028, but has warned that Indian badminton must solve a deepening injury crisis to sustain success beyond the current generation.

Speaking exclusively to Sports Now, the former World No. 1 praised Treesa-Gayatri's World Championships bronze and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty's consistency, but questioned the lack of a strong pipeline of doubles pairs and the frequent injury layoffs that break rhythm and confidence. She said that while India has the talent to compete with China, Korea and Japan, it lacks the top physios and trainers needed to keep elite players fit through the gruelling international calendar.

Nehwal stressed that consistency, not just occasional medals, is required for India to become a true badminton powerhouse. She called for urgent improvements in sports science and injury management to prevent players from losing months of competition.