Troubled Saina hopeful to get passport on Saturday

New Delhi, Dec 13 (PTI) India's Saina Nehwal, whose dream
of playing in the World Super badminton series masters final
in Malaysia got caught in the bureaucratic quagmire, is
hopeful of realising it by intervention of Indian Ministry of
External Affairs on Saturday.

"Delhi's Chief passport officer Mr R Swaminathan has
assured me that I would get my passport today. I hope I get it
so that I can get my Visa from Chennai on Monday," the ace
shuttler told PTI after Hyderabad's regional passport office
refused to renew her passport in time for the tournament.

Saina had qualified for the prestigious December 18 to 21
event on Thursday after two of the Chinese shuttlers pulled
out of the event making way for the World number 10 Indian.

The teenager, who had last week applied to renew her
passport and was promised to be issued new one on Wednesday
was Friday told that she could not get it before Monday.

"I had applied for the renewal of the passport on
December 2 and they had assured to issue it on December 10 but
they didn't do that. So I tried to meet the passport officer
yesterday but she said the office had closed and she was in a
meeting so she couldn't meet and I would only get the passport
on Monday," she said.

Saina, who had reached the fourth round of the women's
singles badminton in the Olympics, was disappointed at the
treatment meted out to her.

"I am really sad about the way they treat sportpersons in
the country. I mean, it is their responsibility to take care
of the sportspersons not only about cricket but other sports
as well.

"I play tournaments almost every week and so I can't wait
for two weeks, they should issue the passports within a 24
hours. I never speak against any sport but I am deeply hurt by
the way I was treated. We are also sportspersons, we are also
medal contenders, you just can't neglect us in this way," an
angry player said. PTI ATK
NIK