Olympic bronze medal-winning veteran badminton star Saina Nehwal has said that she and husband Parupalli Kashyap, also a former shuttler, have decided to part ways. Saina made the announcement through an Instagram story late on Sunday night. The couple had got married on December 14, 2018.
“Life takes us in different directions sometimes. After much thought and consideration, Kashyap Parupalli and I have decided to part ways. We’re choosing peace, growth, and healing – for ourselves and each other,” Saina wrote in her statement. “I’m grateful for the memories and wish nothing but the best moving forward. Thank you for understanding and respecting our privacy during this time,” she added.
Saina made the bombshell announcement in an Instagram story. (Pic source: Saina Nehwal Instagram screenshot)
Kashyap and Saina trained together at the Pullela Gopichand Academy in Hyderabad from their early days. While Saina became a global icon with her Olympic bronze and world No. 1 ranking, Kashyap broke into the world top 10 and clinched the 2014 Commonwealth Games gold. Kashyap has embarked on coaching since ending his playing career in early 2024.
Considered one of the greatest badminton players of all time, Saina also indicated that she is considering retirement towards the end of last year. She hasn’t played since her first round exit at the Singapore Open in June 2023. The 35-year-old had opened up on her struggle with arthritis in the House of Glory podcast by Gagan Narang late last year. “I am also thinking about it,” she had said about retirement and then stated that she will assess how she feels about hanging up her boots towards the end of 2025.
Saina is the first Indian badminton player to have won an Olympic medal, having finished with a bronze at London 2012. She is also the first Indian to have reached the final of the badminton World Championships, and the first Indian to have won the BWF World Junior Championships. Saina’s success is largely cited as a major factor in India’s rise as a badminton powerhouse in the past decade.
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