Star badminton player Saina Nehwal dropped a major bombshell on Sunday,June 13th by announcing her separation from long-time partner Parupalli Kashyap. Saina made the announcement on her Instagram account. Saina and Parupalli decided to pull the plug after 7 years of courtship.
Nehwal in her statement wrote, "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. 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," . Kashyap on the other hand is yet to announce a statement of his own.
Saina Nehwal And Parupalli Kashyap’s Love Story
Saina Nehwal and Parupalli Kashyap knew each other from a camp in 1997 but only started meeting regularly in 2002 when they trained together in Hyderabad. They started dating around 2004 during their junior years, with Saina’s intense competitiveness driving Kashyap in every training session. Over time, their bond strengthened as they supported each other through highs and lows, especially during travels and international tournaments.
Both Saina and Parupalli climed the ladder of Indian badminton while training at the Pullela Gopichand academy in Hyderabad. While Saina became a global icon with her Olympic bronze and World No. 1 ranking. After winning bronze at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, he became the first Indian male shuttler to reach an Olympic quarter-final in London 2012. In 2014, he ended a 32-year wait by clinching gold at the Commonwealth Games.
Their professional relationship evolved, with Kashyap transitioning to her coach by 2018. His technical expertise combined with her mental resilience paid off when Saina defeated PV Sindhu to win gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Kashyap’s role became more defined, supporting her from the coach’s chair while managing his own recovery. The two finally decided to get hitched in 2018.
