Pullela Gopichand

The man behind the coaching factory of badminton.

 

- Shreeprakash Sharma

Let me ask you a very simple question - What common thread runs through the lives of PV Sindhu, Kidambi Srikanth, and Parupalli Kashyap and, last but not the least, Saina Nehwal? The much-known and universally correct answer is that they all are the illustrious sport personalities which the country has ever been blessed with.

But what is not unveiled and unravelled is the fact that they all reached out to the pinnacle of their career in the badminton under the tutelage of Pullela Gopichand, the national badminton coach and the last Indian player to win the most coveted All England Club Title in 2001.

Born on the 16 November 1973 in Nalgonda district of Telangana, Pullela Gopichand’s life has been a perfect example of roller coaster story. Cricket is said to be his first love but later on he got initiated into badminton, the game which won him the unfathomable laurels and the fame both at the national and international level and since then he has never looked back.

Champion to mentor

The maiden national win for Gopichand came when he won National Badminton Championship title in 1996 and surprisingly retained this unprecedented victory for the five times in a row. He was chosen to play against Malaysia which was his debut into the fiercely-competitive arena of International Badminton in 1991. He also represented the country thrice in the Thomas Cup Tournament.