World Badminton Championship 2017 has started a new chapter in Indian badminton as this is the first time that two iconic players from India has shared top three positions. A proud moment for us to have P.V. Sindhu and Saina Nehwal as inspirational figures for new upcoming players.
There’s no denial of the fact that cricket still is most watched and played sport in India. But ever since players like Nehwal and Sindhu in guidance of Pullela Gopichand started winning major tournaments, it took giant steps in bringing more youngsters into the courts with racquets.
Badminton first gained popularity in the country in the late 70s and 80s which was the time when players like Prakash Padukone and Syed Modi came into the limelight. Prakash Padukone became the first Indian to win the All England Championships. The duo also won medals in other international events like the Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games.
Then after there was a gap and badminton as a game lost it grounds of popularity, there were players reaching up to some level of recognition but no one could retain and maintain their positions in international level.
The major turnaround in Indian badminton came when All England Champion Pullela Gopichand started his academy in Hyderabad and Saina Nehwal became the first iconic player to maintain the position for almost a decade. She is like Sachin Tendulkar of badminton who remained an inspiration to young players. The legacy of Saina Nehwal is now been carried further by P.V. Sindhu and India is now at the doors of International league to challenge East Asian dominance in this game.
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