Saina Nehwal joins the #5MinuteMore movement, sharing a heartfelt story after accepting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore's challenge.

In a gesture supporting the Khelo India #5MinuteMore campaign, Saina Nehwal responded to the challenge set by Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore. Through a video posted on Twitter, she thanked the Minister and reminisced about the importance of gaining extra playing time. Saina noted that the campaign is a fantastic way to showcase the talent and drive present in India, expressing her appreciation to Rathore for including her in the conversation.

Saina recalled how, during her formative years in badminton camps, she would constantly ask for just five more minutes of court time. She believes that this relentless pursuit of extra practice, paired with her own willpower, laid the foundation for her professional growth and her ability to win major competitions.

Reflecting on the insignificance of five minutes in a general sense, Saina explained that in the context of athletic development, those brief moments were transformative and directly contributed to her success in the sport.

Sharing her gratitude to @Ra_THORe for the #5MinuteMore and #KheloIndia 2019 initiative, Saina passed the torch by challenging @SDhawan25, @parupallik, and @MirzaSania to join in. Pic.twitter.com/Weq3PY8Huc

Saina Nehwal (@Ennisna) January 9, 2019

Saina's nominations for the challenge include Indian cricket star Shikhar Dhawan, fellow badminton player Parupalli Kashyap, and tennis icon Sania Mirza, who is currently a new mother.

The movement began last Wednesday when Rathore released a video promoting the #5MinuteMore challenge for Khelo India. In the clip, the Olympic shooting medalist is seen playing table tennis, using the moment to encourage others to share memories of when they fought for a few extra minutes of playtime as children.

Rathore launched this digital campaign to build excitement for the Khelo India Youth Games, which kicked off in Pune, Maharashtra, on Wednesday. The 12-day sporting event, running from January 9 to 20, features over 10,000 athletes representing 29 states and 7 union territories.

To amplify the message, Rathore tagged several of India's most influential personalities, including Virat Kohli, Saina Nehwal, Deepika Padukone, and Salman Khan.

In his video, Rathore urged the public to remember the childhood struggle of wanting to play just a bit longer, even when parents insisted on chores or studies. He encouraged people to use the #5MinuteMore and #KheloIndia hashtags to share these stories, emphasizing that we should advocate for children to be allowed that extra time to play and explore their potential.