Srikanth Kidambi is an Indian badminton player. He trains at the Gopichand Badminton Academy, Hyderabad and is supported by the GoSports Foundation. He is also sponsored by Yonex. In 2018, he was awarded the Padma Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian award.
A playful teenager who loved to play pranks and was admitted to Gopichand academy because his brother was already there and his parents requested Gopi sir to take Srikanth also under his wings because he was doing anything worthwhile at home. And also his father Krishna put him into badminton so that he can get a small government job.
This playful teenager shocked the world and became the first Indian man to scale the peak of World Badminton in the new rank system. Prakash Padukone was the world’s top player before that in 1980’s. Saina Nehwal was the first Indian woman to become World No.1, in 2015. The much awaited moment in Indian men’s badminton came on this Thursday as Kidambi Srikanth was finally crowned the new World No. 1.
25-year-old man achieved the top rank with 76,895 points and displaced World Champion Viktor Axelsen. He is the only Indian shuttler and the fourth in the world to win four super series titles in a calendar year.
Gopi sir made Srikanth play double and showed little interest in him as he was a bit careless. But once he identified the sharp hitting capabilities of Srikanth, Gopi sir shifted him to singles and after that Srikanth has never looked back and always worked hard to improve his game.
Srikanth drew inspiration from his idol Gopichand and now Srikanth has surpassed his idol, who could only climb as high as World No. 4.
“I expected him to do very well, but to be frank I didn’t think he would become No.1 someday.” ~ P Gopichand (Srikanth’s Coach)
“I am delighted to become NO.1. The feeling is yet to sink in. I knew that I would become NO.1 today, but once the official announcement is made it’s altogether a different experience. When I started my career I never thought that I would one day become the World No.1. It’s a dream for every shuttler to reach here, ” Srikanth told TOI from Gold Coast on Thursday.
Watch some of his game highlights:
