I have always wanted an Olympic medal. I always wanted to see India's national flag going up at the podium.

I never believed that India could win a medal in badminton because the competition is so tough.

My dream is to see India as a nation of well-looked-after and respected sportspeople in all fields.

Badminton is not a popular sport in India.

Both my parents were amateur badminton players. My father is a scientist and wanted me to be a doctor. But my mom was very aggressive and loved badminton. She pushed me right from the age of nine to take up the sport.

When I was a kid, my parents would play badminton, but I hardly joined them. I'd just pick up their racquets and fiddle around. Check out how the racquet was made... toss it around to see how light it was! At the time, I didn't even know I'd play badminton.