Nehwal Becomes India’s Best-Paid Non-Cricketing Sportsperson

Indian badminton player Saina Nehwal has become the country’s best-paid non-cricketing sportsperson having agreed a three-year contact worth a reported $7.4m (£4.6m) with Rhiti Sports, highlighting the sport’s growth in the country.

Nehwal, who won a bronze medal in this year’s Olympic Games, has signed a contract with Rhiti Sports, which also manages cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

“With Rhiti’s background and credibility, they know how to balance things and that is a big plus point,” Nehwal said.

“We’re very thrilled with the base amount and it’s an honour since she’s the first non-cricket athlete they’ve taken on,” Nehwal’s father Harvir Singh said.

Arun Pandey, chairman and managing director of Rhiti Sports, said: “We are proud to be associated with someone who is not only a youth icon for women in the country but has also done a lot for badminton as a sport. She has placed India on the world map for badminton and changed the outlook of people in India towards the sport.”

Nehwal had been contracted to the Deccan Chronicle group, whose cash-strapped Indian Premier League team Deccan Chargers was recently terminated because it failed to pay players’ fees.