Gurusai Datt
Encyclopedia
Gurusai Datt R. M. V. or Gurusai Datt (born 1 March 1990) is a badminton
player from India
. He trains at the Hyderabad's Gopichand Badminton Academy
and is supported by Olympic Gold Quest
, a not-for-profit foundation to identify and support Indian athletes. He won the gold medal at the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games
.
as a sport after watching Pullela Gopichand
, the 2001 All England champion
, play at a local stadium. In 2005, he won the sub-junior national doubles title and also qualified for the sub-junior ABC Championship. This, according to him, spurred him to focus entirely on the sport. He started his training with Gopichand.
In the international circuit, Gurusai Datt first appeared in the boys doubles category at the 2006 World Junior Championships
. The pair of Gurusai Datt and K. Tarun progressed only until the second round. The Hindu
praised the enthusiastic effort and fighting quality of the pair's game play. He represented India
in the team event category, but failed to win his singles match against a Thailand
opponent. Gurusai Datt won the 2007 Andhra Pradesh
Senior Badminton Championships after defeating the top seed – his first title. He played a vastly superior and controlled game and he looked the better player.
that was held in Pune
. While he was India's National Junior Champion, Gurusai Datt won the 2008 Dutch Junior International that was held in Haarlem
. He became the first Indian to win this title. This win was seen as a good sign for India's chances at the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games
.
Carrying his form into the upcoming tournaments, Gurusai Datt won the singles title at the Commonwealth Youth Games and Bahrain International Challenge badminton championship by the end of 2008. In 2009, he reached the quarterfinals of the 2009 Denmark Super Series
. At the 2010 Yonex Sunrise India Open Badminton Championships, Gurusai Datt created an upset in the quarterfinal by defeating former All England Champion, Muhammad Hafiz Hashim
. Both Hashim and the media reports praised him for his game play. In the same year, Gurusai Datt represented India at the South Asian Games
. He not only won the silver medal in the singles event but also the gold medal in the team event category.
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
player from India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He trains at the Hyderabad's Gopichand Badminton Academy
Gopichand Badminton Academy
Gopichand Badminton Academy is a badminton training facility in Hyderabad, India. Founded by the 2001 All England Open Badminton Champion, Pullela Gopichand, the facility trains several badminton players such as Saina Nehwal, Parupalli Kashyap, P. V...
and is supported by Olympic Gold Quest
Olympic Gold Quest
Olympic Gold Quest is a program of the Foundation Of Sports And Games , started by Indian sporting icons Geet Sethi and Prakash Padukone to identify and support Indian athletes with a proven track record and who have the potential to win Olympic gold medals...
, a not-for-profit foundation to identify and support Indian athletes. He won the gold medal at the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games
2008 Commonwealth Youth Games
The 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games were held in Pune, India, a city in the state of Maharashtra. They were the third Commonwealth Youth Games, which are held every four years; they were the first Commonwealth Youth Games to be held in Asia....
.
Early career
Gurusai Datt took up badmintonBadminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
as a sport after watching Pullela Gopichand
Pullela Gopichand
Pullela Gopichand is an Indian Badminton player.He won the All England Open Badminton Championships in 2001 defeating Chen Hong of China in the finals by 15-12,15-6. He became the second Indian to achieve this feat after Prakash Padukone, who won it in 1980...
, the 2001 All England champion
2001 All England Open Badminton Championships
The 2001 All England Open was the 91st edition of the All England Open Badminton Championships. It was held from 7 March to 11 March 2001, in Birmingham, England.It was a four star tournament and the prize money was USD$125,000.-Final results:...
, play at a local stadium. In 2005, he won the sub-junior national doubles title and also qualified for the sub-junior ABC Championship. This, according to him, spurred him to focus entirely on the sport. He started his training with Gopichand.
In the international circuit, Gurusai Datt first appeared in the boys doubles category at the 2006 World Junior Championships
BWF World Junior Championships
The BWF World Junior Championships is a tournament organized by the Badminton World Federation to crown the best junior badminton players in the world....
. The pair of Gurusai Datt and K. Tarun progressed only until the second round. The Hindu
The Hindu
The Hindu is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Chennai since 1878. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it has a circulation of 1.46 million copies as of December 2009. The enterprise employed over 1,600 workers and gross income reached $40...
praised the enthusiastic effort and fighting quality of the pair's game play. He represented India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in the team event category, but failed to win his singles match against a Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
opponent. Gurusai Datt won the 2007 Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
Senior Badminton Championships after defeating the top seed – his first title. He played a vastly superior and controlled game and he looked the better player.
Foray into international circuit
Gurusai Datt won the bronze medal at the 2008 BWF World Junior Championships2008 BWF World Junior Championships
-Team competition:A total of 21 countries competed at the team competition in 2008 BWF World Junior Championships.-Final positions:#####################-Final Round:-Medalists:-Boys Singles:-Girls singles:-Boys doubles:...
that was held in Pune
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
. While he was India's National Junior Champion, Gurusai Datt won the 2008 Dutch Junior International that was held in Haarlem
Haarlem
Haarlem is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of North Holland, the northern half of Holland, which at one time was the most powerful of the seven provinces of the Dutch Republic...
. He became the first Indian to win this title. This win was seen as a good sign for India's chances at the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games
2008 Commonwealth Youth Games
The 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games were held in Pune, India, a city in the state of Maharashtra. They were the third Commonwealth Youth Games, which are held every four years; they were the first Commonwealth Youth Games to be held in Asia....
.
Carrying his form into the upcoming tournaments, Gurusai Datt won the singles title at the Commonwealth Youth Games and Bahrain International Challenge badminton championship by the end of 2008. In 2009, he reached the quarterfinals of the 2009 Denmark Super Series
Denmark Open
The Denmark Open, or formerly known as Danish Open, is an annual badminton tournament held in Denmark and organized by Danmarks Badminton Forbund.- History :...
. At the 2010 Yonex Sunrise India Open Badminton Championships, Gurusai Datt created an upset in the quarterfinal by defeating former All England Champion, Muhammad Hafiz Hashim
Muhammad Hafiz Hashim
Muhammad Hafiz Hashim is a Malaysian badminton player. He studied at Sekolah Kebangsaan Sultan Isamil before transferring to Kuala Lumpur. Then,he transfer back to Kelantan and studied in Sultan Ismail College. He achieved worldwide fame when he won the Yonex All-England Open Badminton...
. Both Hashim and the media reports praised him for his game play. In the same year, Gurusai Datt represented India at the South Asian Games
2010 South Asian Games
The 2010 South Asian Games, officially the XI South Asian Games, was a major multi-sport event that took place from January 29 to February 8, 2010 in Dhaka, Bangladesh...
. He not only won the silver medal in the singles event but also the gold medal in the team event category.
External links
- Gurusai Datt at Olympic Gold QuestOlympic Gold QuestOlympic Gold Quest is a program of the Foundation Of Sports And Games , started by Indian sporting icons Geet Sethi and Prakash Padukone to identify and support Indian athletes with a proven track record and who have the potential to win Olympic gold medals...