Pullela Gopi Chand

The reigning men's national badminton champion, Pullela Gopi Chand has become a matured player over the years. He is one of the few players in the world who has a blend of aggressive stroke play and impressive footwork.

This agile player is capable of defeating any player in the world. His game is electrifying to watch. He is only next to Prakash Padukone in terms of stardom.

Presently ranked 6 in the world, his performance in international tournaments is steadily improving and he continues to enthral badminton fans all over the world.

He bagged the first Nationals when he was just 17. His performance in the last eight years was finally recognised by the Indian Government and he was awarded the Arjuna Award on August 29, 2000. The award was a tribute to his hard work, commitment and discipline to the game.

His success can be attributed to his coach Syed Mohammed Arif, who groomed the player in him. Gopi holds his coach in great respect because it was Mohammed Arif who trained him to be the world-class player he is today.

His landmark achievements:
Bronze medal in the Commonwealth Games
Won the Scottish International Open at Edinburgh
Sterling performances in Malaysian Open, Ipoh Masters Tournament, German Open, Dutch Open and Uber Cup

He became the second Indian after Prakash Padukone to win the men's singles title at the All England Badminton Championship in Birmingham. Prakash had achieved this feat in 1980.

Winning his first major Grand Prix title, it was a dream come true for Gopi. He overcame Olympic title holder Ji Xinpeng and world number one Peter Gade of Denmark and comfortably defeated China's Chen Hong in the final to claim the title.

He had a wonderful run in the tournament. The five time National champion did not lose a game in the entire tournament. That's the way to go, Gopi!

- J.Vinay