Saina Nehwal is an Indian badminton player who has been for some time ranked No.1 in the world by Badminton World Federation Women's Singles 2015. She is the first Indian to win a medal in Badminton at the Olympics. She achieved this feat by winning the Bronze medal at the London Olympics 2012 on 4 August 2012. She is also the first Indian after Prakash Padukone and the first Indian woman to become world number 1 badminton player. Besides these, she is the first Indian to win the World Junior Badminton Championships and was also the first Indian to win a Super Series tournament, by clinching the Indonesia Open on 21 June 2009. Saina is supported by the Olympic Gold Quest. She was born on 17 March 1990 in Hisar, Haryana.

Saina started her badminton training under the apt guidance of S.M. Arif, who was a Dronacharya Awardee. She is currently coached by Indonesian badminton legend Atik Jauhari along with the former all England champion and national coach Pullela Gopichand as her mentor. Being born to Harvir Singh Nehwal, who is a scientist at Directorate of Oilseeds Research and Usha Nehwal, Saina Nehwal has always received the support of her family members. In 2006, Saina Nehwal became the first Indian woman to win a super-series tournament, the Philippines Open. In 2008, she became the first Indian to win the World Junior Badminton Championships. She also won the 2008 Chinese Taipei Open Grand Prix Gold, the Indian National Badminton Championships and the Commonwealth Youth Games in the same year. She was declared as the most promising player in 2008. In 2009, she became the first Indian to win the most prominent badminton series of the world - the Indonesia Open. She also reached the quarterfinals of world championship. Saina Nehwal was honoured with the Arjuna award and her coach Gopichand was also honoured with the Dronacharya award in August 2009. In 2016, he received the Padma Bhushan award.