Pullela Gopichand
Encyclopedia
Pullela Gopichand (born on November 16, 1973 in Nagandla
of Prakasam district
, Andhra Pradesh
) is an India
n 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. He was awarded the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna
Award for the year 2001. But later on, his game was affected due to injuries and his ranking dropped to 126 in the year 2003. In 2005, he was awarded the Padma Shri
.
Now, he runs the Gopichand Badminton Academy
. He is now a very renowned coach who received the Dronacharya Award
and is the main force behind the emergence of Saina Nehwal
.
, Hyderabad and graduated in Public Administration. He was the Captain of the Indian Combined Universities Badminton team in the years 1990 and 1991.
Gopi received his initial coaching from S. M. Arif
before Prakash Padukone
accepted him in the BPL Prakash Padukone Academy. Gopi also received training under Ganguly Prasad at the SAI
Bangalore.
Gopichand married fellow Olympian badminton player P.V.V Lakshmi on June 5, 2002. Lakshmi is also from Andhra Pradesh, home state of Gopichand.
, and repeated the victory in the same tournament held at Colombo in 1997. At the Commonwealth Games
, he won a Silver Medal in the team event and a Bronze Medal in the singles event.
He was able to get his first big boost up at International level in the year 1997 in the Indian Grand Prix Tournament held at Delhi
. At the event, Gopichand continuously defeated an array of top-seeded players from all around the world, although he lost in the Final Match. In the year 1999, he won the Toulouze Open Championship in France, and the Scottish Open Championship in Scotland. Continuing his smashing form, he emerged winner at the Asian Satellite tournament held at Hyderabad the same year, and lost in the Final match of the German Grand Prix Championship.
at London. In the Championship, he defeated Danish player Anders Boesen in the Quarter-Final round, while in the Semi-Final round he beat the then world number one Peter Gade in 2 tough sets. Finally, he outperformed Chen Hong of China by 15-12, 15-6 to lift the coveted title, and to achieve the feat that had been accomplished by only one Indian till then, the legendary Prakash Padukone
.
awarded him the Arjuna Award
in the year 1999. Further in 2001, he was bestowed upon the highest Indian honour in the field of sports, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna
Award. After he won The All England Badminton championship, the Government of Andhra Pradesh
rewarded him with a cash prize and a plot in Jubilee Hills
, Hyderabad as a token of appreciation. In the year 2005, he was conferred the Padma Shri
Award. He received the Dronacharya Award
on 29 August 2009 for his contribution to Indian badminton as a coach.
--"As a result of aggressive marketing by cola companies, people have stopped drinking healthy drinks like fruit juices and people in the villages have actually begun to believe that soft drinks are good for health. Aerated drinks are not only bad for health, they are also bad for local industry. Thanks to aerated drinks, it's becoming more and more difficult to find nimbu sherbet and coconut water."
Nagandla
Nagandla is a village near Inkollu, Prakasam district, Andhra Pradesh....
of Prakasam district
Prakasam district
Prakasam District is an administrative district in the state of Andhra Pradesh, in India. The district headquarters is located at Ongole City...
, 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...
) is an 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...
n Badminton
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.
He won the All England Open Badminton Championships
All England Open Badminton Championships
The All England Open Badminton Championships, or simply All England, is one of the world's oldest and most prestigious badminton tournaments. Played annually, it developed after the success of world's first badminton tournament held in Guildford in 1898...
in 2001 defeating Chen Hong of China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
in the finals by 15-12,15-6. He became the second Indian to achieve this feat after Prakash Padukone
Prakash Padukone
Prakash Padukone is a former badminton player from Karnataka, India. Among other championships, he won the All England Championship and became the first Indian to do so. Prakash was awarded the Padma Sri in 1982...
, who won it in 1980. He was awarded the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna
The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna is India’s highest honour given for achievement in sports. The words "Khel Ratna" literally mean "Sports Gem" in Hindi. The award is named after the late Rajiv Gandhi, former Prime Minister of India. It carries a medal, a scroll of honour and a substantial cash...
Award for the year 2001. But later on, his game was affected due to injuries and his ranking dropped to 126 in the year 2003. In 2005, he was awarded the Padma Shri
Padma Shri
Padma Shri is the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan...
.
Now, he runs the 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...
. He is now a very renowned coach who received the Dronacharya Award
Dronacharya Award
Dronacharya Award is an award presented by the government of India for excellence in sports coaching. The award comprises a bronze statuette of Dronacharya, a scroll of honour and a cash component of Rs.500,000...
and is the main force behind the emergence of Saina Nehwal
Saina Nehwal
Saina Nehwal is an Indian Khel Ratna badminton player currently ranked 4 in the world by Badminton World Federation. Saina is the first Indian woman to reach the singles quarterfinals at the Olympics and the first Indian to win the World Junior Badminton Championships...
.
Early life
Pullela Gopichand was born on November 16, 1973 to Pullela Shubhash Chandra and Subbaravamma. Initially Gopichand was more interested in playing Cricket, but later his elder brother Rajashekar initiated him to take up the game of Badminton instead. He studied at the St. Paul’s School, and even when he was only 10, his prowess in the game of Badminton had become an issue to be discussed in the School. Gopichand suffered a ligament rupture in the year 1986 when he was 13. He had won the Singles and the Doubles title at the Inter School Competition the same year. Undeterred by the injury, he bounced back soon and reached the Final round of the Andhra Pradesh State Junior Badminton Championship, only to lose the title to his own elder brother. By the year 1988, when he finished his schooling, Gopichand had made a mark for himself in the Badminton circuit. He joined A. V. CollegeA. V. College
Andhra Vidyalaya College of Arts, Science and Commerce, popularly known as A. V. College, is an educational institution located in Hyderabad, India. The college offers B.Pharmacy graduate and post graduate courses...
, Hyderabad and graduated in Public Administration. He was the Captain of the Indian Combined Universities Badminton team in the years 1990 and 1991.
Gopi received his initial coaching from S. M. Arif
S. M. Arif
Syed Mohammed Arif , popularly known as Arif Saahab, is an Indian badminton coach from Hyderabad, Andra Pradesh. He is a recipient of Dronacharya Award by the Government of India.-Career:...
before Prakash Padukone
Prakash Padukone
Prakash Padukone is a former badminton player from Karnataka, India. Among other championships, he won the All England Championship and became the first Indian to do so. Prakash was awarded the Padma Sri in 1982...
accepted him in the BPL Prakash Padukone Academy. Gopi also received training under Ganguly Prasad at the SAI
Sports Authority of India
The Sports Authority of India is a body set up by the Government of India. It was created in 1984 to help promote sport throughout the country. Presently, it has seven regional centres at Bangalore, Gandhinagar, Kolkata, Sonepat, Delhi, Mumbai and Imphal and two sub-centres at Guwahati and...
Bangalore.
Gopichand married fellow Olympian badminton player P.V.V Lakshmi on June 5, 2002. Lakshmi is also from Andhra Pradesh, home state of Gopichand.
National Badminton
He won his first National Badminton Championship title in the year 1996, and won the title five times in a row, till the year 2000. Also, he won two Gold Medals and one Silver Medal at National Games 1998 held at Imphal. The same year, Gopichand led the State Badminton team of Andhra Pradesh to win the prestigious Rahmatulla Cup.International Badminton
Gopichand made his debut into International Badminton in the year 1991 when he was selected to play against Malaysia. In his International Badminton career, he represented the nation in 3 Thomas Cup tournaments. In the year 1996 he grabbed a Gold Medal in the SAARC Badminton Tournament held at VijayawadaVijayawada
Vijayawada is the third largest city in Andhra Pradesh, India, located on the banks of the Krishna River and bounded by the Indrakiladri Hills on the West and the Budameru River on the North. The city is located in the Krishna District, about from the state capital Hyderabad.Vijayawada literally...
, and repeated the victory in the same tournament held at Colombo in 1997. At the Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
, he won a Silver Medal in the team event and a Bronze Medal in the singles event.
He was able to get his first big boost up at International level in the year 1997 in the Indian Grand Prix Tournament held at Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
. At the event, Gopichand continuously defeated an array of top-seeded players from all around the world, although he lost in the Final Match. In the year 1999, he won the Toulouze Open Championship in France, and the Scottish Open Championship in Scotland. Continuing his smashing form, he emerged winner at the Asian Satellite tournament held at Hyderabad the same year, and lost in the Final match of the German Grand Prix Championship.
All England badminton Championship
The proudest moments of Gopichand's lifetime arrived in the year 2001, when he recreated the history by winning the prestigious 2001 All England Open Badminton Championships2001 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:...
at London. In the Championship, he defeated Danish player Anders Boesen in the Quarter-Final round, while in the Semi-Final round he beat the then world number one Peter Gade in 2 tough sets. Finally, he outperformed Chen Hong of China by 15-12, 15-6 to lift the coveted title, and to achieve the feat that had been accomplished by only one Indian till then, the legendary Prakash Padukone
Prakash Padukone
Prakash Padukone is a former badminton player from Karnataka, India. Among other championships, he won the All England Championship and became the first Indian to do so. Prakash was awarded the Padma Sri in 1982...
.
Awards and honours
To commemorate his excellent achievements as a badminton player at both national and international level, the Government of IndiaGovernment of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
awarded him the Arjuna Award
Arjuna award
The Arjuna Awards were instituted in 1961 by the government of India to recognize outstanding achievement in National sports. The award carries a cash prize of 500,000, a bronze statuette of Arjuna and a scroll....
in the year 1999. Further in 2001, he was bestowed upon the highest Indian honour in the field of sports, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna
The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna is India’s highest honour given for achievement in sports. The words "Khel Ratna" literally mean "Sports Gem" in Hindi. The award is named after the late Rajiv Gandhi, former Prime Minister of India. It carries a medal, a scroll of honour and a substantial cash...
Award. After he won The All England Badminton championship, the Government of Andhra Pradesh
Government of Andhra Pradesh
Government of Andhra Pradesh is the government for the state of Andhra Pradesh in South India.It is an elected government with 294 MLAs elected to the legislative assembly for a 5 year term.-Executive:...
rewarded him with a cash prize and a plot in Jubilee Hills
Jubilee Hills
Jubilee Hills is a suburban neighbourhood in west Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh. It is presently one of the most expensive residential locations in India with prime land prices fetching up to Rs. 200,000 per square yard. A tract of land in the city was sold for nearly Rs. 3,340,000,000 in 2005...
, Hyderabad as a token of appreciation. In the year 2005, he was conferred the Padma Shri
Padma Shri
Padma Shri is the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan...
Award. He received the Dronacharya Award
Dronacharya Award
Dronacharya Award is an award presented by the government of India for excellence in sports coaching. The award comprises a bronze statuette of Dronacharya, a scroll of honour and a cash component of Rs.500,000...
on 29 August 2009 for his contribution to Indian badminton as a coach.
Quotes
--"I think competitive sport helps one to learn to endure failure, disappointment and injury. In any other sphere of life, this may not be possible."--"As a result of aggressive marketing by cola companies, people have stopped drinking healthy drinks like fruit juices and people in the villages have actually begun to believe that soft drinks are good for health. Aerated drinks are not only bad for health, they are also bad for local industry. Thanks to aerated drinks, it's becoming more and more difficult to find nimbu sherbet and coconut water."