On Episode 2 of I.I.M.U.N.’s Before I Became Me, hosted by Rishabh Shah (Founder, I.I.M.U.N.), Olympic medallist Saina Nehwal spoke about the role schools can play in shaping young athletes, stressing the need for early exposure, access and structured learning in sports.
Emphasising the importance of starting young, she noted, “If he or she is capable of doing well, they should ideally come into the circuit at 14–15.”
She added, “if schools can support kids, especially for those kids who cannot go to an academy and train, they can at least get facilities at school. If they get to play for one hour instead of just 30 minutes, and are taught something every day about a particular sportsperson, maybe show about them on the screen, about the game, what they train, it could be a cricket, badminton, it could be any sport, if you teach them how you teach them a particular subject, they will learn faster.” Reflecting on how systems can better support young talent.
Drawing from her own journey and the power of observation, she said, “I observed and learnt smash from my parents, and I had never played badminton before that… So imagine how much you can learn just by observing.”