Can a sports loving politician or minister please help Saina?

After luckily qualifying for the Yonex-Sunrise BWF World Super Series Masters Final (to be held in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, from December 18 to 21), Saina Nehwal has now hit a crest of bad luck or shall we say a wall of official incompetence and apathy. In most likelihood, she will miss out on this wonderful opportunity because her passport would not have been renewed on time.

Saina got an entry into this exclusive tournament, limited to the top 8 players in the world, thanks to the withdrawal of the Chinese players. Considering that she is in excellent form, it was a god-sent opportunity to face off against the very best and rack up some more ranking points in the process.

Saina had applied for a renewal of her passport on December 2 and was given December 10 as a date for delivery. Then, when she got the news of her qualification on Thursday, December 4, she sought an appointment with the passport officer on Friday but her request was brushed aside, with the officer’s secretary telling her to come on Monday. And then the RPO failed to keep its earlier promise and ever since, Saina has been making rounds of the RPO.

The 18 year-old (yes she is still a teenage girl) innocently tried to use the sporting patriotism card by pleading with the authorities that she was the country’s top shuttler and this was a rare opportunity, but the men in charge would not listen. Needless to say the poor girl was deeply hurt.

Wonder what would have happened if a cricketer needed the same sense of urgency from the passport authorities. Even a second- rung guy would have commanded more respect from them.

Her hopes of participation are now almost dead - Unless the powers –that-be can do something about it. Thankfully, this news has been reported by most of the top dailies. So it would have caught their attention for sure. If someone higher up is a true sports lover, then they can surely get this sorted out and ensure Sania’s participation. Let’s see if we have one amongst the lot of politicians and administrators who never miss the chance to facilitate a champion sportsperson and wax rhetoric about their love for sports.

The powerless sports fans are waiting with bated breadth.

Update 1: Looks like somebody has taken notice. Chief Passport Officer, New Delhi, R Swaminathan has assured Saina Nehwal that her passport would be delivered to her on Saturday.

Update 2: Saina has got her passport and and can now take part the BWF World Super Series Masters Final in Malaysia which starts from Thursday, December 18, unless the Malaysian embassy raises some issue with her visa processing.