Badminton champion Saina Nehwal on Saturday advised students and youth to focus on achieving success by improving their physical fitness, mental peace and mental strength through hard work.

Speaking at the annual day celebrations of SRKR Engineering College in Bhimavaram on Saturday, Ms. Nehwal said she felt proud and happy to have represented India and to have been ranked among the top ten badminton players in the world. She said that from a young age she had reduced distractions such as movies and other forms of entertainment and concentrated on fitness and rigorous training with the aim of bringing success to the country.

“Dedication and consistent effort played a key role in my achievements,” she said, giving credit to her parents and coach for guiding and supporting her throughout her journey. She encouraged students to listen to their parents and teachers and pursue their goals with discipline and commitment.

Rajya Sabha member P. Venkata Satyanarayana said discipline was the key to achieving success in life.

College Secretary and Correspondent S. R. Nishant Varma presided over the programme. Member of the governing body K. S. Vijayanarasimha Raju, Principal K. V. Murali Krishnam Raju, Director M. Jagapati Raju, Chief Administrative Officer Ch. Dileep Chakravarthi and others participated in the event.