While some athletes have settled with their achievements and after winning medals for the country, some athletes work for the upliftment of sports in the country. In this article, I have written about such badminton players who have taken extraordinary efforts to start their dream project that are pumping out talents for India.
Prakash Padukone- Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy
The Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy is one of the most well-known academies and was launched in October 1994. It was started by the legendary player and former World no. 1, Prakash Padukone, along with Vimal Kumar and Vivek Kumar. With 25 years of establishment, it has trained some of the best athletes the country has to offer. As a result, the academy has produced several National and International Champions.
In 2009, it launched its branch in Mumbai which serves as a feeder to the Bangalore elite center.
Pullela Gopichand- Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy
The dream of starting the Pullela Gopichand Academy has churned out shuttlers like PV Sindhu, Saina Nehwal, Srikanth Kidambi, and many more that have won various International medals for India. Pullela Gopichand planned the academy long before he retired in 2003 from International badminton.
However, the All England Champion faced various challenges to set up the academy. For winning the 2001 All England Open, he was gifted 5 acres of land by the government of Andhra Pradesh.
Jwala Gutta
In 2019, the former Olympian and 2010 Commonwealth Gold medallist, Jwala Gutta launched the Jwala Gutta Academy of Excellence in Hyderabad. Jwala Gutta has played an important role in increasing the importance of women’s doubles in India with her notable performances. Her academy hosts 14 badminton courts and has a seating capacity of 600 people. It is not only specifically designed for badminton, but a plethora of sports including Cricket and swimming. Well, she faced many difficulties while setting up the academy as she had no government support. Her father sold their house and used his life savings to fulfill his daughter’s dreams.
Saina Nehwal
Saina Nehwal changed the perception of women’s badminton in India by earning so many victories for the country. She is the first Indian female player who topped the world rankings as World no. 1. When it came to contributing to her sport, Saina has played her role as well by launching her badminton academy at Gaur City sports complex located in Gaur City, Greater Noida West.
Nikhil Kanetkar
In 2011, when former Olympian, Nikhil Kanetkar retired from competitive badminton, he started the Nikhil Kanetkar Badminton Academy in Pune. The academy is based at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Balewadi, Pune. The vision of the academy is “Grooming Talent to Make Champions” & to be a world-class academy in terms of infrastructure and training imparted.
The academy has various centers in Pune and has played a very phenomenal role in producing International talents for our country. The students have won various International and National medals at the junior level.
Final Thoughts
When former athletes contribute to the industry, it leads to overall development of the sport and the country as a whole. Kudos to these legends who have not stopped working for the country even after ending their professional career. They are the building an atmosphere to produce world class talent in the field of badminton.
I hope you enjoyed the article.
Thanks for reading. Keep playing.
5 Fastest Smashes in the History of Badminton
Badminton is the fastest sport in the World and the popularity of the sport has grown manifold over the past few years. This rise has been defined by the inspiring International players like Lin Dan, Lee Chong Wei, Carolina Marin, PV Sindhu, Victor Axelson, and many more. When it comes to the world record for the fastest smash in the World, it has been recorded by Tan Boon Hoeng with a massive 493 km/h. However, this was recorded under test conditions.
Over a while, smashes have started dominating the rallies, and the above record is a reminder of the unbelievable speed a badminton player can generate while delivering a smash. In this article, I will take you across the fastest competition smashes that have been hit in the history of badminton.
#5- Parupalli Kashyap – 401 kmph
Parupalli Kashyap was once the brightest prospect for men’s singles in India. However, plagued with injuries over a while, forced him to drop out of the 2016 Rio Olympics which led to a drop in world rankings. It was in the Japan Open, 2015, that Kashyap set a world record by hitting a crackling smash that clocked 401kmph. The 31-year-old defeated Kidambi Srikanth on his way to the quarterfinals before falling to Chou Tein-Chen in the next round. Interestingly, Lin Dan produced a smash of the same speed in the same tournament.
This was the last tournament when Kashyap was at the peak of his career before failing to multiple injuries. During his peak, Kashyap became the first Indian men’s singles badminton player to reach the quarterfinals of Olympics in the 2012 London Olympic Games. He also won the gold medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. He is currently ranked World no. 26.
#4- Victor Axelsen- 404 kmph
At a very young age of 23, Victor Axelson earned himself with a 2016 Olympic Bronze medal and 2017 World Championship medal. Axelson is popular for his quick movement, unpredictable half smashes, and trick shots. Ohh yes, not to forget his powerful smashes. Well, one such powerful smash was hit at the 2015 Japan Open, where the Dane produced a 404 kmph thundering smash that left everyone stunned.
Though he lost in the finals, he achieved his career best smash.
#3- Jan O Jorgenson -407 kmph
31 year old, Jan O Jorgenson is considered to be one of the most successful badminton players from Denmark. In recent year, he lost his rythm but has something to be proud of. It was in 2016 at the semifinals of the Malaysian Open Superseries permier that he executed a crackling smash against Lee Chong Wei which clocked 407 kmph and therefore, it is recorded as the third fastest smash in badminton history. However, he lost the nail biting match to Lee Chong Wei.
#2- Lee Chong Wei -408 kmph
The three-time Olympic and World Championship silver medallist, Lee Chong Wei is always a treat to watch for worldwide badminton fans. In 2014, he was convicted of doping charges and was banned to play for eight months. To know more about his ban, click here. However, he made a powerful comeback in 2015 at the Hong Kong Open. Due to his ban, he suffered a drop in his ranking and was unseeded at the tournament. The 34-year-old proved himself by winning the tournament. In the process, he executed a whopping smash that clocked at the rate of 408 kmph, the second-fastest smash in the World.
Well, not satisfied with this record, Lee broke his record by hitting a smash clocking at 417 km/hr at the Japan Open 2017.
#1 Mads Peter Holding – 426 kmph
All the above records have been created by men’s singles players. Well, Kolding is the only doubles player in the top 5 and is one of the tallest badminton players with a height of 6 feet and 8 inches. A doubles match in badminton is defined with quick rallies and heavy smashes. Therefore, it no surprise that a doubles player tops the list of the World’s fastest smash.
In the 2017 version of the Premier Badminton League, Kolding represented the Chennai Smashers team. In a match against Mumbai Rockets, Kolding hit a massive smash that clocked at the rate of 426 kmph to end the 40 shot rally. However, the PBL is not a BWF recognized tournament so the record may not be available it its official books.
Final Thoughts
These are the five fastest smashes executed in the history of badminton.
I hope you enjoyed the article.
Thanks for reading. Keep playing.
Top Comebacks in Badminton
A sportsperson is always ready for challenges and knows how to face them and overcome them. Well, here are a few comeback stories in badminton that define determination, focus, and hard work. Let me take you across such inspirational stories of badminton athletes who have made a comeback after facing difficult challenges.
Lee Chong Wei
In April 2015, Lee Chong Wei was handed a backdated eight-month ban for his anti-doping rule violation. Unfortunately, he had tested positive for the banned drug, dexamethasone. Due to this, he was stripped of his 2014 Silver medal at the World Championships. He was World no. 1 at that time.
After serving his suspension, Lee Chong Wei bounced back on the International Circuit by winning back to back titles at the US Open, and Canada Open. He also won the French Open, his maiden China Open, and the Hong Kong Open. Above all, Lee medalled at the 2015 World Championships and 2016 Rio Olympics.
His ranking had come down to World no. 180 when he started after the suspension as he had missed many tournaments, and by the end of the year he rose to be under the top 5 players in the world. It is not easy to come back to such a competitive sport after 8 months. Lee’s comeback is one of the greatest comebacks in badminton history.
Carolina Marin
The Rio Olympic Gold medallist, Carolina Marin suffered a career-threatening ACL injury at the finals of the 2019 Indonesia Masters due to which she was forced to retire from the tournament. Marin’s on-court performance is always entertaining for a fan. She is aggressive and above all, a fighter for every point.
Well, her recovery was as fast as she is on the court. Within eight months, Marin returned by defending her China Open crown. In the process, she defeated Tai Tzu Ying 14-21, 21-17, 21-18. Considering she hadn’t beaten Tai in their previous six encounters, Marin who was unseeded in the tournament appeared to have returned from injury better than her previous self. Marin is currently ranked World no. 6 and it will be worth a while to see if she can retain her Olympic title.
Lin Dan
After winning the 2012 London Olympics gold medal, Lin Dan stopped playing for almost a year. The rockstar of badminton defeated the World no. 1, Lee Chong Wei to clinch his second Olympic Gold medal. His absence from practice and various tournaments prompted retirement rumors.
He came back in 2013 competing at the Badminton Asia Championships in Taiwan. However, he withdrew from the quarterfinals citing a shoulder injury.
Suddenly it was announced that Lin had accepted a wildcard to compete at the BWF World Championships. Interestingly, Lin had won the title four times but this time would be expected to be different as he had spent a considerable amount of time out of tournaments.
Just like a movie story, superstar Lin Dan shocked everyone by defeating World no. 2, Chen Long on his way to defeat his long time Malaysian rival, Lee Chong Wei in a dramatic final in which the World no. 1, Lee, retired due to a cramp.
This led him to win his fifth World Championship title.
Saina Nehwal
The former World no.1 endured an injury-plagued 2016 season. She sustained an intra-articular injury (inside the joint) to her right knee. As a result, she lost in the group stage of the 2016 Rio Olympics. However, in 2017 Saina made a comeback by capturing the season’s first title at the Malaysia Masters Grand Prix Gold badminton tournament, defeating Thailand`s Pornpawee Chochuwong in straight games in the finals.
Victor Axelson
In early 2018 Axelson went under a knee surgery which forced him to miss the All England Championships. Previously, he was great form after winning five titles including the World Championships and World Tour Finals. The former World no. 1, made a promising comeback in 2020 after a title win at the Barcelona Spain Masters and a final appearance at the All England Championships before claiming the Indian Open crown.
Kento Momota
In 2016, Kento Momota was banned for one year as he was caught gambling, which is illegal in Japan. He was ranked World no. 2 at that time and the saddest part was that he could not take part in the Rio Olympics though he was qualified for it.
Momota came back in his greatest form ever in 2018 by winning the Asian Championships after defeating the Rio Olympic gold medallist, Chen Long in the finals. He went on to win four more titles in 2018 and 11 titles in 2019, thereby breaking Lee Chong Wei’s record of winning the highest number of titles in a year. The Tokyo Olympics would be Momota’s debut at the Olympics. To know more about Kento Momota, click here.
Final Thoughts
All these players have made a phenomenal comeback after surpassing different challenges. Like its said, after a bad phase, there always comes a good phase in life. Well, these players have made their comeback with even better performances compared to the past.
I hope you liked the article.
Thanks for reading. Keep playing.
Top 5 Performances of Kento Momota
In every country and every sport, there is always an athlete who defines many of the ‘firsts’ in the sport. Well, Kento Momota is the one in badminton who not only broke world records, but also became the ‘first’ men’s singles badminton player of Japan to win various prestigious tournaments for his country.
Let me take you across five best performances of Kento Momota, where he created history.
#5- 2018 Asian Championships
Within one year of his return from the gambling suspension, Kento Momota, the former World no. 2 stunned the Rio Olympics Gold medallist, Chen Long, to win his maiden Asian Championship title. To know more about the gambling controversy, click here. He won the match in straight games 21-17, 21-13 and this was his first victory over Chen Long in their five meetings. The 23-year-old reeled off seven straight points in the second game to clinch the title in one hour. The left-hander kissed the Japenese Flag on his jersey and signified his comeback on the International circuit, after his ban.
#4- 2018 Indonesia Open
The Japenese star went on to win his second Indonesia Open title in 2018. He defeated first seeded, Victor Axelson of Denmark in the men’s singles final. The 23-year-old started the match with a convincing 11-1 lead in the interval of the first game before closing the match 21-14, 21-9 after several unforced errors by the then World no. 1, Victor Axelson. This was Momota’s biggest title since his 2017 comeback as the Indonesia Open if one of the three Super 1000 tournaments on the annual badminton calendar.
Well, Momota booked his place in the finals after defeating the legend, Lee Chong Wei 23-21, 21-10 semifinals win.
#3–2018 World Championships
Japan’s, Kento Momota became the first-ever Japanese male player to win gold at the BWF World Championships. The explosive 23-year-old convincingly beat China’s Shi Yuqi, 21-11, 21-13 in the final to clinch the title. Though 22-year-old Yuqi was a higher seeded player, Momota used all his experience to dominate throughout the match. Ever since he won the Asian Championships against Chen Long, Momota was in an unbelievable form. After the Championship, Momota became the first Japenese men’s singles player to occupy the World no. 1 rank in the BWF rankings.
#2– 2019 All England Title
With an impressive 2018 season, Momota progressed into 2019 with even greater performances. The World no. 1 again scripted history by becoming the first Japenese men’s singles player to win the All England title. In the process, he defeated Victor Axelson 2-1 in the final. In his All England debut in 2014, he was defeated by Lee Chong Wei in straight games. This time he was playing for the first time in three years and did not disappoint his fans by prevailing 21-11, 15-21, 21-15 in badminton’s oldest tournament.
#1– 2019 BWF World Tour Finals
Momota ended the 2019 season in style by winning the BWF World Tour Finals. He thereby confirmed his status as the best men’s player on the planet by winning his 11th title of 2019. It was an intense encounter between World no. 7, Anthony Sinisuka Ginting and Momota. However, Momota prevailed 17-21, 21-17, 21-14 in 87 minutes of quality badminton play. Interestingly, Momota was 12-5 down in the deciding game but he eventually surged back to clinch the title. With this, Momota holds the record for the highest no of titles in a year which was previously held by Lee Chong Wei with 10 titles.
Final Thoughts
After Lin Dan and Lee Chong Wei, Kento Momota is the most consistent player in the men’s singles category. It is not easy to maintain this kind of form for such a long time. Despite various challenges, Momota has proved himself to be one of the greatest badminton players the World has witnessed.
I hope you enjoyed this article.
Thanks for reading. Keep playing.
Top Five Badminton Controversies in the World
Badminton is known to be a quick and silent sport with players only in news for results of the tournaments. Unlike other sports, there are very few controversies involved in badminton due to the simplicity of the game. However, with world-class players in the circuit, and a lot of rules and regulations, controversies always come up in some way or the other. In this article, I will tell you about a few controversies that shook the badminton fraternity as well as the fans.
Also read: Top Comebacks in Badminton
#1 Super Dan’s on-court outburst
During the 2008 Korea Open, two-times Olympic Champion, Lin Dan who is known for his short temper, created controversy when he tried to physically attack South Korean coach Li Mao. Lin Dan suffered a 4-21,23-21,25-23 defeat against Lee Hyun-il in the final after some controversial line calls. While Lin complained to the umpire, Lee’s coach, Li Mao said something that shook Lin Dan’s temper.
Lin appeared to throw his racquet in Li’s direction after protesting a line call which proclaimed Li as the winner. This led to a conflict between Lin Dan, Lin’s coach Zhong Bo and Li, and the officials had to jump in to separate them. Lin Dan was shown a yellow card for his actions. Lin refused to apologize for his behavior and said that the Korean team had behaved ‘dishonorably’.
#2 Lee Chong Wei and Doping
Lee Chong Wei tested positive for anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone during the 2014 World Championships in which he finished runner up. A three-member panel was formed to look into the matter and he could have faced a 2-year ban which would affect his career to a large extent.
However, in April 2015 the panel ruled than dexamethasone was not a performance-enhancing drug and that Lee had been negligent with no intention to cheat. He was charged with an eight months ban. The absence had affected Lee Chong Wei’s ranking which dropped to 180 in the world.
#3 Kento Momota banned from Olympics
Kento Momota was suspended from the Rio Olympics for gambling. The 21-year-old was World no. 2 at the time he was suspended. Gambling is illegal in Japan. Notably, he was not banned by the IOC and the BWF, instead of his own country. The gambling amount was revealed to be 5,00,000 yen in just a matter of six visits to the casino. His teammate, Kenichi Tago, frittered away an estimated 10 million yen after more than 60 visits to various casinos in the country. After his return to the circuit, his Badminton World Federation (BWF) ranking had fallen to below the 250 mark, and he could not obtain entry to any of the quality Superseries tournaments.
#4 Playing it loose at the Olympics
In the 2012 Olympics, 8 women badminton players were expelled as they involved in match-fixing, trying to lose their match for easy quarter-final draws. 1 pair from China, 2 from South Korea, 1 from Indonesia purposely lost so that they can play against easy pairs in the knockout phase. All of them had already qualified for the quarter-finals. Intentionally, the players repeatedly served into the net and hit the shuttle wide to gift points to their opponents.
After the end of the day’s play, the Badminton World Federation(BWF) decided to disqualify the player for “Not giving their best to win a match”.
And this led the Chinese player, Yu Yang to announce her retirement at the age of 26.
#5 World Championship Air-Issues
In 2013, Lin Dan made a comeback by winning the World championships against Lee Chong Wei. Lee retired at the crucial end of the finals due to cramps in his leg. Later, Lin Dan’s coach blamed the Air conditioner for Lee retiring so early. He said that in the second game the air conditioners were turned off, but the organizers ruled out the foul play saying that the air conditions were affected because of an increase in spectators. Moreover, the tournament began with controversy as many players started questioning a ‘wildcard’ entry to Lin Dan who took an 8-month break.
Final Thoughts
I hope you enjoyed this article.
Thanks for reading. Keep playing.
The Unsurpassable Record of Kento Momota
While everything in badminton was revolving around Lin Dan, Lee Chong Wei, Victor Axelson, and a few more, Kento Momota is the new superstar breaking and making his records in the sport. He capped an invincible 2018 season, by becoming the first Japanese men’s singles player to become World no. 1. It was just a while back he returned after serving his year-long ban in 2017 and what a comeback by the Japanese star.
Since his return from the gambling ban in 2017, he initially played on Challenger circuits as he did not have enough ranking points to take part in the Superseries events. With his dedication and focus, 2018 was a year to remember for him and the badminton fraternity.
He came back in style by winning the Asian Championships by defeating the Olympic gold medallist, Chen Long in the finals. This was just the start. He went on to reach the finals of seven BWF World Tour tournaments, winning four titles along with the prestigious World Championship crown.
Well, the record does not end here. Momota’s 2019 season was filled even with greater victories. He just lost once in the first round at the Malaysia Masters and in the 12 finals that he reached, he triumphed in 11 of them. With this, he broke the record of highest superseries titles in a year, which was initially held by Lee Chong Wei run of 10 titles in 2010. His win-loss record for the year stood at an unbelievable 67-6. Momota also became the first Japenese player to win an All England title.
With such a spectacular season, he was awarded as the BWF best male player of the year. Momota began his 2020 season as World no. 1 and did not disappoint as he won the Malaysia Masters by defeating Victor Axelson, 21-22, 21-11 in the final. With this, he extended his head to head record with Axelson to a massive 14-1. Notably, his career record stands with 335 wins and 78 losses. To read about his five best performances, click here.
Unfortunately, Momota was involved with a tragic accident on the way to the airport after winning the Malaysia Masters. Along with a broken nose, he suffered injuries to his lips and face. Momota was banned from taking part in the Rio Olympics even while he was qualified for the event.
He was won almost all tournaments but misses out on the most precious, an Olympic medal. At the age of 25, he is now looking ahead to Tokyo 2021 which is scheduled in his country. This will be his debut at the Olympics after he missed Rio 2016. In the Race to Tokyo ranking list (as on 24/3/2020), he is ranked no. 1 with 1,05,968 points. The 2021 Olympics which is to take place in his own country will give him a chance to avenge his loss of not participating in 2016. Moreover, following his stellar season, expectations from the home crowd and his worldwide fans will be high.
Final Thoughts
Momota has beaten all records in badminton with his consistency. His journey is an inspiration to all badminton players around the World.
I hope you enjoyed this article.
Thanks for reading. Keep playing.