Steadfast Athlete Shivani Singh started playing badminton by chance but has made a mark for herself in a few years. Shivani won five straight state badminton championships for Haryana from 2014 to 2019. She won bronze at the All India Senior Ranking Badminton Tournament in 2016 and 2019 and was the North Zone Interstate Champion from 2015 to 2019. She won bronze at the Bangladesh International Challenge 2021.
Shivani wasn't particularly interested in the sport while growing up. The turning point occurred when she was 12 and began to enjoy the sport after winning a few badminton tournaments. A friend went to the government stadium during the summer holidays to practice badminton. Shivani was inspired and started playing. Initially, she wasn’t serious. Shivani then played for a year and won a match at the district level in the Under-15 category. She felt confident and motivated and developed an interest, making up her mind to take the sport seriously and make her career in badminton. The turning point came when she won the Under-17 Haryana championship in 2013 and played her first nationals.
Badminton is an expensive game. Players have to participate in tournaments at their own expense. Around 6-8 tournaments happen a year- costly for a middle-class household. Not everyone can afford to play the game. However, Shivani’s family has always been very supportive throughout her journey. Her father has always supported her with all her expenses and finances and has never refused her anything. He motivates her during her low phases.
In 2014, a senior coach from her hometown Panchkula asked her father to send her to an academy to train under an Indonesian coach. That’s when her game went peaked. She performed well at the national level, improving her national ranking. The association also supported her financially. In 2016, she won the bronze medal in the Senior National Championship and was selected for the Indian Railways. She felt mixed emotions about winning the games. She was happy it was her first title, which made the experience special for her. She went with an open mind to play her heart out without a thought of winning or losing. It was an event to remember.
Shivani was the runner’s up in the All India Railways Women doubles 2022 in Visakhapatnam and won the bronze at an All India Railways team event held the same year.
Shivani has been a part of Steadfast Nutrition for three years. The supplements helped her improve her health and performance. Her favourite is Carborance, which contains carbohydrates for endurance.
“I have been using Steadfast Nutrition’s products for three years. They have helped me improve my health, enabling me to perform at a higher level. My favourite supplement by Steadfast Nutrition is Carborance- it improves my endurance, helps me stay longer on the court, and increases my energy during games. I feel proud and motivated to be a part of the Steadfast family. It’s been a very-good three years,” says Shivani.
Her ultimate aim is to help India take home an Olympic medal.
Shivani enjoys sketching, drawing, and listening to music. Her favourite sportsperson is the Thai badminton player Ratchanok Intanon.
