HYDERABAD: It seems to be the season of sporting alliances in India and badminton will once again reaffirm its reputation of being sport's biggest matchmaker.
Famous over decades for its high-profile romances culminating in marriage, the shuttle game will now play Cupid to pioneering Indian woman player, Saina Nehwal, and Parupalli Kashyap who will be wedded by the year-end. TOI has reliably learnt that the marriage will take place on December 16. It is planned to be a private affair with only about 100 people attending. The bigger festivities will unfold later that week with a grand reception slated for December 21.
"Both families had been planning the wedding for a while now. Now they have finalised the date. The arrangements are all for December 16," a source close to the couple said.
Saina, Kashyap kept love under wraps
The Hyderabad-based duo has reportedly been in a relationship for the past decade, but managed to camouflage it by hanging out in a group that usually comprised Kidambi Srikanth, HS Prannoy and Gurusaidutt. If anybody had an inkling of what was
brewing, the couple never confirmed or denied it. The Saina-Kashyap marriage will mark another chapter in recent Indian sporting matches after those of Dipika Pallikal-Dinesh Karthik, Ishant Sharma-Pratima Singh and wrestlers, Geeta Phogat-Pawan Kumar and Sakshi Malik-Satyawart Kadian.
Saina, 28, and Kashyap, 32, will be following in the footsteps of badminton super-couples, Indonesians Susy Susanti and Alan Budikusuma, China's Lin Dan and Xie Xingfang, British duo Chris and Gabby Adcock and back home, Madhumita GoswamiVikram Singh Bhist and Syed Modi and Ameeta Kulkarni.
About the groom
Kashyap, a Commonwealth Games gold winner in 2014, has repeatedly maintained that Saina is just a friend and practice partner. But those close to the couple knew how affectionate they were towards each other. Both met when they began training under Pullela Gopichand in 2005. While Saina went on become India's shuttle superstar, winning 20 major titles, an Olympic bronze and a silver at the World Championships, Kashyap also did well in the men's circuit and was once ranked world No. 6, before long spells with injury hampered his progress.
According to the grapevine, it was at the London 2012 Olympics that people got a wind of the relationship, but even then things hardly ever came out in the open. Earlier this year, Saina acknowledged Kashyap's role publicly when she mentioned his
contribution after she won the Commonwealth Games singles gold in Gold Coast. It was perhaps for the first time she was openly praising Kashyap for motivating her throughout the tournament. She also started posting pictures along with Kashyap and the rest on her social media platform.
When Saina moved to Bengaluru to train under Vimal Kumar in 2014, many thought their relationship would be under test. But Kashyap would visit Saina frequently, and it is believed that one of the reasons for Saina’s return to Hyderabad was to settle down with Kashyap. Fiercely committed to her cause, Saina drew coaches’ praise for the manner in which she used to divide her time and focus between training and personal life. Whenever she trained for a major tournament, she hardly maintained contact with Kashyap. Will it stay the same way after marriage now?