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Badminton is a racquet sport played with racquets and a shuttlecock. The most common forms of the game are singles and doubles. Some well-known badminton players include Jwala Gutta, Ashwini Ponnappa Machimanda, Kidambi Srikanth, and Pusarla Venkata Sindhu. On the other hand, Sania Mirza is an Indian tennis player and not a badminton player. C.A. Bhavani Devi is another Indian athlete, but she competes in fencing, not badminton.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Profession | Tennis player |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Achievements | Won six Grand Slam titles in her career |
| Achievements | From 2003 until her retirement from singles in 2013, she was ranked by the Women’s Tennis Association as India’s No. 1 player |
| Achievements | She is one of the two Indian female tennis players to win a WTA title |
| Achievements | Named one of the “50 Heroes of Asia” by Time in October 2005 |
| Achievements | Won 6 ITF singles titles in 2004 |
| Achievements | Became the first Indian woman to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam tournament at the US Open |
| Name | Sania Mirza |
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Sania Mirza
Mirza is a former doubles world number one and has won six major titles – three in women's doubles and three in mixed doubles. She was ranked by the Women's Tennis Association as the No. 1 Indian in singles from 2003 until her retirement from singles in 2013. She is the highest-ranked Indian female player ever, peaking at world No. 27 in mid-2007. However, a major wrist injury caused her to shift her focus to doubles.
Throughout her career, Mirza has achieved numerous firsts for women's tennis in India. She was the first to reach the one million-US$ mark in career earnings, and her total earnings currently stand at over US$7.2 million. She is also one of only two Indian women to win a WTA Tour title and the only one to be ranked within the top 100 in singles. In 2005, she was crowned Newcomer of the Year by the WTA, and in 2015, she and her partner, Martina Hingis, were named Doubles Team of the Year. They earned a 44-match winning streak, one of the longest in history.
In addition to her athletic achievements, Mirza has been recognised for her influence and impact off the court. In March 2010, The Economic Times named her in its list of "33 women who made India proud". She was also appointed as the UN Women's Goodwill Ambassador for South Asia in 2013. In 2016, she was named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world.
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C.A. Bhavani Devi
Bhavani Devi was selected for the Rahul Dravid Athlete Mentorship Programme in 2015. She was one of 15 athletes chosen by the 'Go Sports Foundation'. In 2020, she represented India at the Tokyo Games but was knocked out in the second round. Despite her defeat, she was praised by Prime Minister Modi, who called her an "inspiration".
Bhavani Devi has been a successful fencer for several years, achieving multiple medals and recognition from the Indian government. Her success has paved the way for her to inspire future generations of Indian athletes.
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Jwala Gutta
Gutta is a fourteen-time National Champion and has competed with various partners throughout her career. She played with Shruti Kurien earlier on but later found greater international success with Ashwini Ponnappa. Together, Gutta and Ponnappa consistently ranked among the top twenty in the BWF World Rankings, even reaching as high as number 10 in 2015. Gutta also teamed up with V. Diju, with whom she peaked at number 6 in the world rankings.
In addition to her athletic achievements, Gutta has been recognised as one of the most inspiring sportswomen of India. She was awarded the Arjuna Award, the country's second-highest sporting honour. Beyond sports, she has supported various social causes, including women's empowerment, anti-tobacco campaigns, and anti-zoo campaigns. She has also participated in initiatives like the Ice Bucket Challenge and Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. Gutta has expressed interest in coaching and film, entering negotiations for a coaching role with BAI in 2017 and making her film debut in 2013 with a cameo in the Telugu-language film "Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde."
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Ashwini Ponnappa Machimanda
Machimanda's first national victory was in 2004, when she won the National Championship in the Sub-Junior Girls' Doubles category. She retained her title in 2005 and went on to win the Junior Girls' Doubles National title in 2006 and 2007. Machimanda's first famous victory was when she won India's first gold in the Women's Doubles event at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, partnering with Jwala Gutta. This win made her a household name in India. In 2011, Machimanda and Gutta became the first Indian pair to win a medal at the World Badminton Championships, securing a bronze medal in the women's doubles event. They defeated 12th seeds Vita Marrisa and Nadya Melati of Indonesia 17-21, 21-10, 21-17 to advance to the semifinals.
Machimanda and Gutta also competed in the 2012 London Olympics, where they lost their opening match but went on to beat higher-ranked opponents from Chinese Taipei to register their first win. They narrowly missed out on a quarterfinal berth, despite winning their last group match against Singapore. Machimanda was awarded the Arjuna Award in 2012 by the Government of India. She has faced some criticism for not winning medals at major events such as the Olympics. In preparation for the 2024 Paris Olympics, Machimanda requested a doubles coach, but her request was denied.
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Kidambi Srikanth
Kidambi's success in badminton began early, with a victory in the Maldives International Challenge in 2012, where he beat the then Junior World Champion Zulfadli Zulkiffli to claim the men's singles title. In the same year, he won the Thailand Open Grand Prix Gold men's singles title and the All India Senior National Championships, claiming his first senior national title. Kidambi also achieved success in doubles, partnering with Sai Praneeth to become the first Indian pair to enter the finals of a ranking event in badminton, the Singapore Super Series.
Kidambi has continued to perform well in badminton tournaments, with notable recent performances including reaching the semifinal in the 2019 Malaysia Masters and winning the 2019 Syed Modi International Badminton Championships Grand Prix Gold title. Kidambi's achievements have earned him recognition, including the World No.11 ranking in 2016 and the World No.1 ranking for a week during the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Kidambi's Instagram bio also highlights his success, mentioning his World No.1 ranking, his Asian Games medal, his Thomas Cup championship, his World Championships medal, and his Commonwealth Games medals.
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Frequently asked questions
Sania Mirza is not a badminton player. She is an Indian professional tennis player.
Jwala Gutta is a badminton player. She is India's most successful doubles specialist and has won the National Badminton Championships fourteen times.
Kidambi Srikanth is a badminton player. He is one of the finest badminton players India has produced and has reached the No. 1 spot in the world rankings.
