Happy Birthday Pullela Gopichand: Lesser-known Facts About the Legendary Badminton Player and Celebrated Coach

Pullela Gopichand is a former India badminton ace who is best known for nurturing colossal talents like Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu, and Parupalli Kashyap. Gopichand hogged the limelight back in 2001 after reigning supreme in the All England Open Badminton Championships, becoming only the second Indian to achieve this major milestone after the legendary Prakash Padukone. Currently serving as the Chief National Coach of India’s national badminton team, Gopichand led India to their first Thomas Cup triumph and created history.

As the legendary badminton player and coach celebrates his 48th birthday, let’s take a look at some of the lesser-known facts from his life:

1. Born in a small village in Andhra PradeshPullela Gopichand was born in a small town called Chirala, in the Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh. His family then shifted to Nizamabad, where he did his schooling, studying at St. Paul’s High School.
2. Initially had an interest in CricketLike most Indian teenagers, Gopichand was intrigued by the game of Cricket and wanted to pursue a career as a batter. However, his elder brother encouraged him to try badminton and placed a racquet in his hands, a decision that transformed the Indian badminton scenario.
3. Thumped World No.1 in 2001Gopichand won the All England Open Badminton Championships in Birmingham in 2001. In the semi-finals, he defeated the then-world number one Peter Gade before defeating Chen Hong of China to win the coveted tournament.
4. Gopichand’s familyOn June 5, 2002, Gopichand married fellow shuttler and long-time girlfriend PVV Lakshmi. The couple has two children. Their daughter is a budding badminton player and is following in the footsteps of her parents.
5. Pullela Gopichand Badminton AcademyIn 2008, Gopichand established the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy. The academy has produced several world-class badminton players and is India’s third High-Performance Center.
6. Awards and accoladesFor his tireless efforts in Indian badminton, Gopichand was honoured with the Arjuna Award in 1999, the Dronacharya Award in 2009, and the Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian award, in 2014.
7. Gopichand at OlympicsUnder Gopichand’s tutelage, Saina Nehwal went on to win a bronze medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics. He was yet again the coach of P. V. Sindhu who went on to win a silver medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics and a bronze medal at the pandemic-hit 2020 Olympics. Pullela was also the Indian Olympic Badminton Team coach at the 2016 Rio Olympics.