The first Indian woman to clinch a silver medal at the World Championship in the 2015 edition at Jakarta, Saina has been struggling ever since, limping out of the Olympics last year with a knee injury.
Indian contingent would be aiming to make it all good with strong medal-winning performances when the acutely-low-on-buzz Commonwealth Games start
The 25-year-old, who shot to fame by becoming the second Indian to win an ITTF event -- the Belgium Open in 2016, is a strong medal hope in the Gold Coast Games starting April 4. He has also won a gold in the ITTF Challenge -- Spanish Open last year in the men's singles category.
Dipa Karmakar, a recent recipient of the Arjuna award, is the first Indian to make enter the final of the World Championships and finished fifth in the rankings.
National badminton coach, Pullela Gopichand, on Wednesday expressed happiness at the performance this year of Indian shuttlers and termed Kidambi Srikanth's feat of winning four Super Series titles as 'phenomenal'.
Gymnastics officials said that Dipa's feat was the first time an Indian woman clinched a gold in a global gymnastic competition.
Usain Bolt's lack of form combined with his late withdrawal from the Jamaican 100 metres national trials on Thursday have raised more doubts about the future of the world's fastest man.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Sunday
Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra's obsessive pursuit of excellence and a new-found sprint sensation in Hima Das gave Indian athletics audacious Olympic hopes but familiar dope shame kept things in perspective in an eventful 2018.
As the curtain comes down on 2014, here's a look at the five best performances over the last 12 months. And, guess what? Two Indian sportsmen figure in the list!
Barely days after quitting as chief coach of the national men's hockey team, Terry Walsh has expressed a willingness to return to India provided Hockey India shows some "desire" to work out a "viable solution".
Celebrated Indian woman boxer L Sarita Devi comfortably outpunched Zsofia Bedo of Hungary to make a winning start to her professional career in the IBC Fight Night at the at the Khuman Lampak Stadium, in Imphal on Sunday.
The Olympic silver medallist settled for second place yet again following a 19-21, 10-21 loss to Olympic champion Caroline Marin of Spain.
Lokomotiv Moscow midfielder Dmitri Tarasov insists he acted alone when he wore a T-shirt praising Russian President Vladimir Putin, leaving the player and team facing an anxious wait over possible sanctions for Tuesday's incident in Turkey.
Yuki Bhambri advanced to the singles second round of the ATP Tashkent Open and reached the doubles quarter-finals, partnering compatriot Divij Sharan, following an upset victory over the top seeds on Tuesday.
South Waziristan, in north-west Pakistan, is regarded as the home of the Taliban. Forget playing any sport, but girls here rarely go to school. Under such circumstances, how does a girl realise her dream to be a sportsperson.
Should Scotland be an independent country? Voters face a straightforward question yes and no as they head to the polls to cast their ballot in the country's landmark referendum.
Livid with detractors for casting aspersions on her achievements because of a dope-tainted past, Asian Games gold medallist discus thrower Seema Punia said she has been 'ill-treated' by authorities, including the national federation, for many years now.
Badminton World No 1 Lee Chong Wei hinted that retirement was on the horizon after the emotional Malaysian sealed his 10th national championship in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.
'It would have been much more appropriate if a law such as this, which all of the civilised world has given up, was struck down through democratic politics rather than five individuals sitting in judgement,' says Aakar Patel.
'I will put in my hundred percent in the Olympics,' promises Apurvi Chandela who took to shooting after watching Abhinav Bindra win gold in the Beijing Olympics.
Vienna tops the charts among cities across the world.
Newly-crowned Korea Open champion P V Sindhu dished out another splendid performance edging past Japan's Minatsu Mitani for the second time in as many weeks to reach the second round of the women's singles at the Japan Open Super Series, in Tokyo, on Wednesday.
India's leading squash players Dipika Pallikal and Joshna Chinappa, who couldn't see eye to eye after an acrimonious quarterfinal in the Incheon Asian Games, have buried the hatchet to be friends again ahead of a busy upcoming season.
British Prime Minister Theresa May will be in India tomorrow, but Cyrus Mistry will no longer head the Indo-UK CEO forum.
Amputee long jumper Markus Rehm is running out of time to make the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in August as the world athletics body has not yet set the criteria for ruling if he can compete with his prosthetic leg. Nicknamed "Blade Jumper", the 2012 Paralympics gold medalist and 2014 German long jump champion hopes to become the second athlete with a carbon fibre running blade to compete in the Olympics after South Africa's Oscar Pistorius in 2012. But a new rule by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) requires amputee competitors to prove their prosthesis gives them no added advantage over other athletes. Competition Rule 144.3(d) bans 'the use of any mechanical aid, unless the athlete can establish on the balance of probabilities that the use of such an aid would not provide him with an overall competitive advantage over an athlete not using such aid.' In order to present his case to the IAAF, Rehm, who beat able-bodied athletes with a jump of 8.10 metres at the Glasgow Indoor Grand Prix in February, has asked for the criteria for this regulation but still not received a reply.
Kidambi Srikanth and two-time bronze medallist P V Sindhu will headline a 21-member Indian contingent as they gun for the elusive gold medal at the World Badminton Championships starting in Glasgow on Monday.
Commonwealth Games gold medallist weightlifter Sanjita Chanu has failed a dope test, the international federation said on Thursday.
Cristiano Ronaldo struck the winning goal to help Real Madrid become European champions, while Marin Cilic made an impressive comeback after a ban to claim the US Open crown in September. Also, Germany defeated Argentina to become football world champions. Rediff.com brings you the last instalment of the Best Sports Photos of the Year!
No one will outshine the Oscars stage this year.
India's shooting ace Apurvi Chandela attained the World No 1 position in the women's 10m air rifle event while compatriot Anjum Moudgil rose to second.
Longer durations of exclusive breastfeeding strongly associated with fewer conduct disorders at ages 7 to 11 years.
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has a goalkeeping dilemma to resolve before ManchesterCity turn up for their Group C Champions League match in Glasgow on Wednesday.
Andy Murray's dedication to the Davis Cup has proved invaluable to the British team, but it may also rob the ATP Tour Finals of one of it's biggest draws this year.
Rediff.com brings you a collection of some of the odd and unusual sports images from around the world in recent weeks.
'I went to slums in India which were quite destitute, where people were clearly really struggling, but typically there is a sort of sense of purpose.' 'People are hustling.' 'What that tells you is that if the country was so organised in a way to give these people opportunity, then they would make something of it.'
After ending India's agonising wait for an Olympic medal at the Rio Games with a bronze medal, Indian women wrestler Sakshi Malik said it was the result of her 12 years of persistent hard work.
There was ecstasy and agony in equal measure for the Indian contingent on Friday.
Pacific islander dances to raise climate change awareness
Factbox on Andy Murray who won his second Grand Slam singles title at Wimbledon on Sunday by beating Serbia's Novak Djokovic 6-4 7-5 6-4 in the final.
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