How to make a comeback like Saina Nehwal, three Mumbaikars tell you

Saina Nehwal Pic/AP

ItâÂÂÂu00c2u0080ÂÂÂu00c2u0088was the second group match at the Rio Olympics, and ace shuttler Saina Nehwal was in pain. She had an inflammation in her right knee, which worsened as she played. Ultimately, the injury got the better of her, and the 26-year-old made headlines when she crashed out of the mega event. Recently, she was in news again when she went on to win the Malaysia Masters Grand Prix Gold badminton tournament.

"Many athletes come back stronger after an injury. The biggest challenge is controlling their mind from the onslaught of self-doubt," says life coach, Khyati Birla. "Positive visualisation, meditation and mind control techniques have shown the best results," she adds.

The lows and blows haven't managed to keep the city's bravehearts from playing their ace game either. We speak to three Mumbaikars who will help you to train your mind to win despite setbacks.

Running after a knee injury
Marathon runner Leelamma Alphonso started her career as an athlete in 1987. She won the Mumbai Marathon in the open category in 2006 and 2007. The year 2008 would have marked her third consecutive win but life had other plans.

Leelamma Alphonso

"Two days before the race I suffered a hairline fracture. My dream of a hat-trick went for a toss," says Alphonso. "My performance never matched up after that but I managed to win the Lucknow Marathon in 2009. In 2012, I suffered a knee injury and the cartilage was damaged but on the third day after the surgery, I started running again," she adds, confessing that she would spend hours crying as she knew that a long break was bad news for an athlete. She felt miserable when she saw other runners.

"I would constantly trouble my doctor. I started the high knee exercises while I was still on bed rest. During my pregnancy, I put on 20 kilos, but I started running a month after delivery. People would laugh at me," she shares.

Currently, she runs in the veterans' category and will be running marathons in Baroda, Gandhinagar, Surat, Chennai, Valsad and Ahmedabad over the next few months. She also runs a support group with her husband and former trainer Frank Alphonso to guide marathoners. "We have runners who have had a bypass surgery too. Nothing is impossible," she says, offering to train us too if we are willing to learn.

Back to stage after tumour
Thirty-seven-year old telly actor, Bhamini Oza Gandhi was detected with a three-mm brain tumour (the size of a two rupee coin) in 2010. "I was 30 when I realised that I couldn't hear from my left ear. I had just shot a pilot episode for a television show where I was supposed to play the lead," says Gandhi.

Bhamini Oza Gandhi (second from left) in a scene from her play The Waiting Rooms

"The doctors said I could suffer a partial facial paralysis too as the tumour was under the eighth nerve. That controls body balance, hearing and face muscles," she adds. About 22 days after the surgery, she re-auditioned for the role but the part was given to another actress.

"I'm a practical person. If you're scared, it upsets your body temperature and blood circulation. You have to be confident and relaxed. I thought if I do get a facial paralysis, my acting career would be over but I could use my education to do something else, instead of sitting and sulking at home. I learnt that we shouldn't ignore even the tiniest glitch in our body," she adds.

Having been part of popular television shows like Khichdi, Sarabhai v/s Sarabhai and Ek Packet Umeed, she currently plays the lead in Gujarati play, The Waiting Rooms, which has crossed 300 shows.

Learning to walk again
Sairaj Bahutule, who coaches the Bengal Ranji team, was a former India leg spinner. He suffered a car accident when he was 18. He broke his thigh bone and had a rod inserted in his leg. "Watching myself with crutches was mentally draining," says Bahutule.

Sairaj Bahutule (left) ith captain Manoj Tiwary

"I was sure though, that playing cricket was all I wanted," he shares. While in hospital, Bahutule read self-help books that kept him motivated. "I recovered in a year's time. There were times when I would make a dive and it hurt. But I worked so hard on strengthening my leg that I can hardly remember the pain. You just have to want your end goal really badly."