It is the responsibility of top athletes to take care of sports administration: Saina Nehwal

Pune: London Olympics bronze medalist shuttler Saina Nehwal feels that bringing in former top athletes in administrative roles can raise the bar in Indian sports.The shuttler, who won the Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit (SOM) election in the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) polls, said she felt the need to give back to the sport. “It is a very good sign that the sport is now being looked after by people who have played at the highest level. There is a lot of knowledge to be shared between these athletes who come from different disciplines. Whatever knowledge I have gained from badminton, I will be able to share with the athletes and similarly I can learn from their experience. Together we can discuss what is needed to build more champions in India and strengthen the sports system,” she told TOI.“We have the Commonwealth Games coming up and we are also thinking of hosting the Olympics. Having experienced athletes in the sports administration will only help improve our results and medal tally,” she said.Saina won an Olympic medal and recently retired from active badminton. He feels that by staying in touch with the sport, administrators will better understand the need for the sport.“As you get older, you start to understand what it takes to become a champion and what it takes to do that. When I look at countries like China and Korea, I notice that their sports associations are often led by people who have performed at their highest level and won Olympic medals. I strongly believe that experienced athletes who have performed at their highest level should actually be involved in all aspects of sports administration and understand what what the players need in the sport and what is happening in the sport.”On the possibility of running for the post of president, she said, “I don’t know. Whether it’s me or any other sportsperson, it doesn’t matter. What’s important is that we work together to improve Indian sports and increase our medal position. We should try to get to the level of countries like China and America. The post of president or any other post will of course have a name attached to it. But what we can ultimately get together for a medal and an important thing is to eventually get medal. country.”