Saina Nehwal made it all look so easy: Father

Saina Nehwal calls her father Dr Harvir Singh early Friday morning after she loses to World No. 1 Yihan Wang in the semifinals - "Papa, I want to stand in the centre (on the podium) and not on the side. I am not at all satisfied... My feet didn't move… I am upset."
Saturday evening, she calls her again after she was declared the bronze medalist.
"Papa, aap bahut bhawuk ho rahe ho...I wanted the big medal, I am not that happy."
India, however, is celebrating. We now have an Olympic medal in badminton, a feat that was long due. Dr Harvir Singh is a proud dad.
Excerpts:
You are indeed very emotional about your daughter's win, like Saina told you...
Of course, I am. Amidst all the emotions, there's one thought constantly running on my mind - Saina has made it all look so easy. This is a lesson of sorts for all the youngsters who want to take up badminton. If an ordinary girl from a small district can go on to become an Olympic medalist, anybody can.
Knowing her, she would have wanted to complete the match and win...
Yes, she would have. But then, you see, Saina made her opponent so tired that she found it difficult to sustain. She would have won the match anyway.
Did she call you after her win, like she always does?
Yes, she did. The media was still talking to me when she had called. All she said was 'Papa, aap bahut bhawuk ho rahe ho…' Then she had to hang up because the media in London was waiting to talk to her. Later, she called again and spoke for just a few seconds. She said she is not really happy... 'I wanted the big medal,' she told me. I also spoke to Gopichand (Pullela) who thanked me for giving him a 'golden girl'.
After her semi-final loss, she seemed very low... you motivated her?
Saina has always had a habit of calling me before and after the match. After the semifinal loss, she sounded very disappointed. She told me, 'Papa, I want to stand in the centre, not on the sides.' I told her, 'Beta, it's ok, just focus on the next match and you will do well'. She takes an hour to come back to her normal self after any disappointing match. She will not speak to anyone, and an hour later, she will be fine.
Perhaps, a word with her Mom would have helped?
No. Her mom is very strict. Saina never speaks to her before or after the match, because her mom just keeps telling her one thing - win, win, win. Saina avoids talking to her. She is a typical mother. She will massage Saina's feet the whole night without sleeping, but she only wants her daughter to win.
Saina broke down on the podium, did you see that?
Really! She broke down? I missed watching the award ceremony. Media people kept me occupied till late in the night. Now, that I hear Saina cried on the podium, I feel heavyhearted. But, I am sure they were tears of joy because Saina is not a person to cry easily. She only gets very upset after a loss.
Are you going to do anything special for her when she returns?
No. We will have a nice meal at home, that's it. We have been celebrating all her wins like that. Many people call me a miser. But main miser nahi hoon. It's true that I have never given Saina a doll and have never taken her out to a good restaurant. All I have done is tell her to play tournaments... and she has never complained about anything. I had to take loans to pay for my travel tickets, hotel stay. But she has made it to the big stage.