On July 5, 1934, the International Badminton Federation, now called BWF, was formed and the World Badminton Day is celebrated to commemorate the occasion.
To celebrate this day, let us take a look at the legends of the sport and the future stars from India.
Prakash Padukone
He won seven consecutive Indian National C’ships from 1972-78. He won gold at the 1978 Commonwealth Games.
He became the first Indian to win the prestigious All England Badminton Open and the world number 1 ranked singles player in 1980.
Pullela Gopichand
He won five consecutive national c’ships from 1996-2000. He won the prestigious All England Open in 2001, becoming the second Indian to win it since Prakash’s triumph in 1980.
He was bestowed with all the major national awards for his stellar career, including Khel Ratna and Dronacharya. After retiring, his coaching blessed India with stars like Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu who dominated the Badminton world.
Parupalli Kashyap
In the 2012 London Olympics, Parupalli Kashyap became the first Indian to reach the QF in the men’s singles.
He won the gold medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and the Indian Open Grand Prix in 2015 reaching the career high world ranking of 6.
Jwala Gutta
Before Sat-Chi came into prominence, Jwala Gutta was the best Indian produced in the doubles category. She has won a combined 316 matches, the highest by any Indian.
She became the first Indian shuttler to qualify for two events in the Olympics and the first Indian doubles pair along with Ashwini Ponappa to win a medal at the World Championships.
Saina Nehwal
The woman of many firsts, Saina Nehwal became a household name with her phenomenal rise after winning the bronze medal in the 2012 London Olympics.
She is the first Indian woman to win a BWF Super Series title by clinching the Indonesia Open. She won gold in the 2010 & 2018 Commonwealth Games, and a mixed team gold in 2018
P.V Sindhu
PV Sindhu took over from Saina and scaled badminton to greater heights, winning multiple laurels for the country. She became the first Indian World Champion in 2019.
She won the silver at the Rio Olympics in 2016, and followed it up with a bronze in Tokyo Olympics in 2021, the first Indian woman and only the fourth player in women’s singles badminton to claim two medals at consecutive Olympic Games.
Kidambi Srikant
He is the first male Indian badminton player to win a BWF Super Series title with the 2014 China Open crown, where he upset Olympic champion Lin Dan in the final.
He won four Super Series titles in 2017, equaling the record held by Lee Chong Wei, Lin Dan, and Chen Long. He became the world no.1 in 2018, only the second Indian ever to achieve the feat after Saina Nehwal.
Anmol Kharb
Dubbed the next P.V Sindhu, she is India’s brightest next gen badminton talent.
She won the Senior women’s singles national champion in 2023, at just 16 years old. After that, she powered the Indian women’s team’s to a historic gold medal at the 2024 Badminton Asia Team Championships
Lakshya Sen
At just 22, Sen is already a serial winner, with a world championship bronze medal, Thomas Cup title, Commonwealth gold, and Youth Olympics silver medal.
He won silver at the prestigious All England Open 2022, aged 20. Ranked 14th in the world, Lakshya will head to the Paris Olympics with high hopes.
Priyanshu Rajawat
Another upcoming star on the list, Priyanshu was part of the triumphant Thomas Cup team of 2022.
He has won a BWF Super 300 event (Orleans Masters 2023) and finished runners up in the BWF Super 100 Odisha Open in 2022. With consistent performances on the circuit, he looks destined for big things.