Pullela Gopichand: From accidental shuttler to India's badminton mentor

Pullela Gopichand, India's chief badminton coach and a former All England champion, has played a pivotal role in shaping the country's badminton landscape.

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Talking to a news agency, he reflected on his journey from a young aspiring player to a mentor guiding India's top shuttlers. Gopichand's entry into badminton was purely coincidental. In 1985, as a child growing up in Hyderabad, he was initially drawn to cricket, inspired by India's historic 1983 World Cup triumph. However, a series of broken windowpanes led his mother to explore structured training for him.

"My father worked in a bank and was frequently transferred. When we settled in Hyderabad, everyone around was passionate about cricket. I broke a few window panes in my apartment, which made my mom worry. She took me to the stadium to enroll in cricket, but admissions were full. Then, we tried tennis, but my mother found it too expensive. Years later, she told me that there were too many cars parked outside. So we didn't want you to join. It was expensive sport. Finally, we went to the badminton court, where there were available slots, and that's how I started playing," he said.