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India has many international badminton players that have made a place not only in the Indian continent but all over the globe. In this article, we will cover the top ten all-time badminton players of India.
Badminton is one of the popular racket sports in India and a favorite pass-time sport in Indian families since its inception in British times. India adopted this game in which two or 4 (in doubles) play badminton on the lawn or court with a lightweight racket and a Shutterstock.
India also has a badminton governing body called the Badminton Association of India which has held all the national level tournaments in India since 1936. It also selects the core badminton group for the Olympics who will represent India.
India has had many International level badminton champions over the years. So let’s know about the top 10 legendary badminton players of India.
Top 10 Badminton Players in India
| No. | Top Indian Badminton Player List | Awards & Achievements |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prakash Padukone | ⇒ Arjuna award (1972) ⇒ Padma Shri (1982) ⇒ Bronze in World Championships Singles, 1983 ⇒ Bronze in World Cup 1980 ⇒ Gold in World Cup 1981 ⇒ Bronze in World Games 1981 ⇒ Bronze in Asian Championships 1976 ⇒ Gold Commonwealth Games 1978 ⇒ Including 24 International tournaments in Singles and doubles throughout the career |
| 2 | Pullela Gopichand | ⇒ Dhronacharya Award (2009) ⇒ Arjun Award (2000) ⇒ Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award (2001) ⇒ Padma Shri (2004) ⇒ Padma Bhushan (2014) ⇒ Two gold medals and one silver medal at the Indian national games (1998) ⇒ Gold in the SAARC badminton tournament ⇒ All England Open Winner (2001) ⇒ Four time winner IBF International |
| 3 | Saina Nehwal | ⇒ Arjuna Award (2009) ⇒ CNN-IBN Sportsperson of the year (2009) ⇒ Padma Shri (2010) ⇒ Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award ⇒ Padma Bhushan (2016) ⇒ Two time Gold medalist Commonwealth games ⇒ Gold in Youth Commonwealth games 2008 ⇒ 3 BronZe in Asian Championship ⇒ Bronze Asian Game 2018 |
| 4 | P. V. Sindhu | ⇒ Silver medal in 2016 Rio Olympics ⇒ Padma Bhushan (2020) ⇒ Padma Shri Award (2015) ⇒ Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award (2016) ⇒ Arjuna Award (2013) ⇒ Gold, 2 Silver and 2 Bronze in World Championships ⇒ Gold, Silver, and Bronze in Commonwealth games |
| 5 | Kidambi Srikanth | ⇒ Arjun award (2015) ⇒ Padma Shri (2018) ⇒ CNN-IBN Sportsperson of the year (2018) ⇒ Gold in South Asian Games (2016) |
| 6 | Jwala Gutta | ⇒ Arjun Awardee ⇒ Gold medal at CWG 2010 ⇒ Silver medal at CWG 2014 |
| 7 | Ashwini Ponnappa | ⇒ Silver medal in the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games. ⇒ Gold Medal at the Yonex Canada Open in the Women’s Doubles category. ⇒ Two Gold medals at the 2016 South Asian Games and one Silver Medal in the Mixed Doubles category. |
| 8 | Chetan Anand | ⇒ Bronze in Commonwealth Games 2006 ⇒ 3 Gold Medals in 3 South Asian Games appearances ⇒ Silver in Men’s Doubles in 2010 |
| 9 | Parupalli Kashyap | ⇒ Arjuna Awardee. ⇒ Reached the quarter-finals of men’s singles at the 2012 London Olympics. (first male player from India to do so) ⇒ Gold medal in men’s singles at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games. |
| 10 | Aparna Popat | ⇒ Participation in 2 Olympic Games, and 1 Asian Games. ⇒ Silver Medal at the World Junior Championships in 1996. ⇒ 4 medals in 3 Commonwealth Games appearances. |
1. Prakash Padukone: Famous Badminton Players of India
Prakash Padukone was born on 10 June 1955 in Bengaluru and was a champion of Indian badminton for almost a decade from 1971 to 1980. Prakash Padukone also played a crucial role in taking Indian badminton to the International level.
At the very young age of 17 Prakash Padukone made his first national debut in 1972. Prakash Padukone was the first Indian player who win the Commonwealth Games Men’s Singles gold in 1978. He also won an All-England champion, nine national champion titles in a row, and several national championships.
The pioneer of Indian badminton, Prakash Padukone, is the number 1 and all-time Indian badminton player. Prakash Padukone was ranked as World’s No. 1 badminton player in 1980. For his amazing achievements in the area of badminton sport, Prakash Padukone earned the title of the father of badminton. Prakash Padukone was also awarded with the Arjuna Award in 1972.
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2. Pullela Gopichand: Famous Badminton Players of India
Former Indian badminton player Pullela Gopichand was born on 16 November 1973 in a small town near Chirala Town in Prakasam district, Andhra Pradesh. Pullela Gopichand was the only second Indian badminton player who won the All-England title after Prakash Padukone.
Pullela won his first National Badminton Championship title in 1996. Gopichand won two gold medals in the SAARC Badminton Championship in 1996 and 1997. He also won a silver medal at 1998’s Indian National Games and his only Olympic appearance at Sydney’s 2000’s games. In 2002, Pullela retired from badminton and opened his own Gopichand Badminton Academy in 2008. He coached many badminton stars including Saina Nehwal, Srikanth Kidambi, Parupalli Kashyap, H.S. Prannoy, Sai Praneeth, Sameer Verma, and Jwala Gutta.
Gopichand was awarded by the Indian Government for his many accomplishments in badminton sport including the Arjuna Award (1999), Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna (2001), Padma Sri(2005), Dronacharya Award (2009), and Padma Bhushan(2014).
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3. Saina Nehwal: Famous Badminton Indian Player
Saina Nehwal is the first-ever Indian shuttler who win the Olympic Gold Medal for India. Saina Nehwal was born on 17th March 1990 in Haryana and started to play badminton at the very young age of 8.
Coached by the former Indian shuttler Pullela Gopichand, Saina Nehwal amazed the world with her Bronze Medal at the London 2012 games. However, she made her first Olympic Debut in 2008 and became the first woman who reached to last eight of the Olympic quarter-final. In 2009, Saina also became the first Indian shuttler who win the BWF Super Series at Idoneshia.
Like every other athlete Saina Nehwal also went through a dip in form and won a Gold Medal in the 2008 Commonwealth Games. It was Nehwal’s second title which she clinched from the another Indian shuttler P.V. Sindhu.
Saina Nehwal’s won 24 plays International titles and only Indian who has at least one medal in every BWF Major and Junior Championships, in her 12-long career. Saina Nehwal married Parupalli Kashyap (fellow badminton player) in 2018 in Hyderabad.
Talking about Saina Nehwal’s national accolades and achievements, she won the Arjuna Award (2009), Padma Sri (2010), Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna (2009-2010), and Padma Bhushan (2016).
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4. P. V. Sindhu: Famous Badminton Players of India
P.V Sindhu’s full name is Pusarla Venkata Sindhu who was born on July 5th in 1995 in Hyderabad. P.V. Sindhu’s parents were also national-level athletes but in volleyball sports. At the age of eight, P.V. Sindhu fell in love with Badminton after watching Pullela Gopichand on the court and started to play. She soon joined his Gopichand Badminton Academy to live her badminton dream.
In the last decade P. V. Sindhu has become the World’s top Indian shuttler and an inspiration to many women. Sindhu became the first Indian Women shuttler with two Olympic medals, a Silver (Rio in 2016) and a Bronze (Tokyo in 2020). She also clinched a Gold Medal in the BWF World Championship.
P.V. Sindhu won five World Championship medals including Gold, two Olympic Medals, and medals in the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. P.V. Sindhu’s greatest achievements at such a young age led her to national accolades including the Arjuna Award (2013), Padma Sri (2015), Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna (2016), and Padma Bhushan (2020).
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5. Kidambi Srikanth: Famous Badminton Indian Player
Kidambi Srikanth, one of the finest Indian Badminton players achieved the No. 1 place in the World Ranking. Kidambi became the first Indian male shuttler who win the Silver Medal in the World Championships. Kidambi Srikanth was born on February 7, 1993, at Ravulapalem in Andhra Pradesh, He started to play badminton after watching his elder brother K Nandagopal.
A student of Pullela, Kidambi Srikanth wasn’t able to polish his skills until he joined the Gopichand Badminton Academy. National Badminton Coach Pullela Gopichand encouraged Srikanth to go solo instead of double in the Badminton.
Srikanth made his professional debut in the 2011 Commonwealth Youth Games at the Isle of the Man. In 2014 Kidambi Srikanth upset two-time Olympian & Chinese shuttler Lin Dan in the China Open final and became the first Indian to win a Super Series Premier Men’s title. He also has the two Commonwealth Games Men’s Single events and has won 10 titles in single events.
Srikanth Kidambi is honored by the Indian Government with the Arjuna Award (2015) and Padma Shri (2018).
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6. Jwala Gutta: Famous Badminton Indian Player
Indian woman shuttler, Jwala Gatta was born on 7 September 1983 in Wardha, Maharashtra. Jwala Gatta played badminton from 1999 to 2017 and represented India in both mixed and women’s doubles and played 316 matches in total (the most badminton matches by any Indian player).
Indian Badminton was only shined in the singles until Jwala Gutta who led India in doubles. She is a fourteen-time national champion, played with Shruti Kurien her partner in the early days, and then made a partnership with Ashwini Ponnappa.
With Ashwini Ponnapa, Jwala Gatta won the Silver Medal (2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow), Bronze (2015 Asian Championship in South Korea), and two Gold (2015 Canadian Open Grand Prix and 2016 South Asian Games). In 2011 Jwala Gatta was awarded with Arjuna Award highest in the sports. She hasn’t been an active player since 2017.
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7. Ashwini Ponnappa: Famous Badminton Indian Player
Indian shuttler Ashwini Ponnappa was born on 18 September 1989 in Bangalore. Ashwini Ponnappa represented India in the Women’s doubles and had a successful partnership with Jwala Gatta.
Ashwini holds the record for the first Indian shuttler to win Gold in the World Badminton Championship for the Doubles category. Ashwini Ponnappa and Jwala Gatta were the shining duo who won several medals for India in the doubles category. However, Ashwini Ponnappa suffered from dengue fever and the duo lost the chance at the 2016 Olympics.
Ashwini Ponappa was honored with the Arjuna Award in 2012 by the Indian government.
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8. Chetan Anand: Famous Badminton Indian Player
Former Indian Shuttler Chetan Anand was born on July 8, 1980, in Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh. Chetan started his professional badminton career in 1992. He was first introduced to badminton by his father and mostly had a successful career in the doubles.
At the very young age of fifteen Chetan Anand reached the national championship with his partner Prithvi. His earlier success made him noticed by the legendary Indian shuttler Prakash Padukone who offered him to train for the International level. Chetan Anand is a four-time national badminton player including in 2004, 2007, 2008, and 2010.
In 2006, Chetan Anand was awarded by the Arjuna Award, later he served as a national coach. He also opened his badminton academy named ‘Chetan Anand Badminton Academy’ in Hyderabad in 2014.
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9. Parupalli Kashyap: Famous Badminton Indian Player
One of the top-line badminton players, Parupalli Kashyap was born on September 8, 1986, in Hyderabad. Parupalli Kashyap was diagnosed with Asthma however this couldn’t stop him from playing badminton.
He was coached by both legendary Indian Shuttlers Prakash Padukone and Pullela Gopichand. Parupalli tested his first International success in the 2010 Commonwealth Games and clinched the Bronze Medal by defeating Chetan Anand.
Parupalli Kashyap won a Gold Medal for the India in Commonwealth Games of 2015 after 32 years. However multiple injuries made him skip the 2016 Olympic Games.
In 2018 Parupalli Kashyap married the Indian badminton star Saina Nehwal. Parupalli Kashyap announced his retirement in 2021. Currently, the former World No. 6 Parupalli coaches in the Gopichand Badminton Academy. Parupalli was awarded the National Arjuna Award in 2012.
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10. Aparna Popat: Famous Badminton Indian Player
Former Indian badminton player Aparna Popat was born in a Gujarati family in Mumbai on January 18, 1978. Aparna won her first national title in 1997. She was coached by a legend himself Prakash Padukone.
Aparna Popat was the face of Indian badminton on the National and International stages for 17 years. Aparna won two Commonwealth Games Medals ( Silver in 198 and Bronze in 2002) a bar of silver in the World Junior Championship (1996), and 5 gold and 3 silver medals in the IBF International Championship.
She received the Arjuna Award in 2005 from the Indian Government for her excellent achievements in Badminton.
So these are our top ten picks for the All-time Shuttler picks for India.
