Served & smashed! Tim Cook meets Saina Nehwal & other badminton champs, talks about how Apple Watch helps athletes train

After Apple CEO Tim Cook threw the gates open to the company’s first retail store in India on Tuesday, the boss took some time off his busy schedule to stop by at a badminton court in Mumbai to have a chat with India’s badminton champions.

The 62-year-old attended the grand opening of Apple BKC store and then headed straight to the badminton court at Mumbai Cricket Association, BKC where he met Saina Nehwal, Kidambi Srikanth, Parupalli Kashyap and Chirag Shetty.

Apple CEO Tim Cook, who opened the company's first retail store in India on Tuesday in Mumbai, also met badminton champions Saina Nehwal, Kidambi Srikanth, Parupalli Kashyap and Chirag Shetty and interacted with them.


Cook also met Coach Gopichand at the badminton court where the athletes and Apple CEO served, smashed and talked about how Apple Watch is helping them train.

"Great meeting Coach Gopichand and badminton champions Saina Nehwal, Srikanth Kidambi, Chirag Shetty, and Parupalli Kashyap, who have played a part in putting badminton on the map for India. We served, smashed, and talked about how Apple Watch helps them train," Tim Cook said in a tweet.

Former All-England champion Pullela Gopichand was also with the players as they met Tim Cook.
At the badminton court, Cook also discussed the evolution of Apple Watch which was created with a key focus on wellness and creating three rings: the move, stand and exercise bar.

"It went from there to heart rate and detecting AFib, and of course notifications came early on as well. And so it has just expanded to cover the waterfront of people's needs," Cook told News18 in an interview.

For former world no. 1 badminton player Nehwal, Apple Watch is the best watch in the world. "It's great use for players in every way... The heart rate is very important for players," Nehwal said.

"After the watch has come out, it's very easy to check your pulse here and then be careful about the rallies you're doing. I would say it's the best watch (Apple Watch) in the world," the badminton star added.

Cook also visited Akanksha Foundation school, a non-profit organisation located in Mumbai, where he met an "incredible group of students and teachers".

"Foundation school, where children that might not have otherwise had the opportunity are given the chance to reach for their dreams. These students embody perseverance and hope! We’re proud to support them," Cook wrote on Twitter while sharing pictures from his visit to the school.