Pullela Gopichand is a professional Indian Badminton player.  He is currently a renowned and Chief Coach for Badminton in India, who has been appointed by the Government of India in 2006.  He is also the main force behind the emergence of another young budding talent Saina Nehwal.  In 2001, he won the All England Open Badminton Championship and has become the second Indian to achieve after Prakash Padukone who won in 1980.

EARLY LIFE:
Pullela Gopichand was born to Pullela Shubhash Chandra and Subbaravamma a Telugu Brahmin family on 16 November 1973 in Nagandla of Prakasam district, Andhra Pradesh.  Initially in his childhood days, Gopi was more interested in playing cricket but with his elder brother Rajashekar’s suggestion he took up Badminton as his profession.  He studied at St. Paul’s School and when he was around 10 years his skill and competency in the game of badminton has won him many accolades in his school. 

In 1986, when Gopichand was 13 years he suffered from a ligament rupture but in the same year he has won the singles and doubles title at the Inter School Competition.  Despite of his leg injury, he bounced back and reached final round of Andhra Pradesh State Junior Badminton Championship he lost to his own elder brother.  In 1988, as soon as he finished his schooling, he joined A.V College, Hyderabad and he graduated in Public Administration.  During 1990-91, he was the Captain of the Indian Combined Universities Badminton team.

Gopichand has received his initial coaching from S.M Arif who was by the then Indian National Chief Badminton Coach at the BPL Prakash Padukone Academy.  He also undertook training under Ganguly Prasad at the SAI Bangalore.  On 5 June 2002, he married his fellow badminton player P.V.V Lakshmi and the couple is blessed with a daughter Gayatri and a son Sai Vishnu.

CAREER & HIGHLIGHTS:
In 1996, he won his first title and from 1996 – 2000, Gopichand has won the National Badminton Championship five times in a row.  In 1998, he also won two Gold Medals and one Silver Medal at National Games at Imphal and also the Rahmatulla Cup.  In 1991, he played against Malaysia which marked his international badminton debut.  He also represented India and played the Thomas Cup tournament for three times.  During 1996 and 1997 SAARC Badminton Tournament, he won the Gold Medal for two consecutive years held at Vijayawada and Colombo respectively.  At the Commonwealth Games event, he won the Silver Medal and Bronze Medal for doubles and singles respectively.

From 1997, Gopichand has boosted up his confidence at International level and in the Indian Grand Prix Tournament he continuously defeated the top players from all around the world and lost in the final match.  In 1999, he won the Toulouze Open Championship in France, the Scottish Open Championship in Scotland and the Asian Satellite Tournament in Hyderabad but lost the German Grand Prix Championship in the finals.

In 2001, he recreated the history by winning the prestigious All England Open Badminton Championship in London.  He defeated the Danish player Anders Boesen in the Quarter-final, by the then world number one Peter Gade in the Semi-final and finally, won the Championship by beating Chen Hong of China and has become the second Indian to achieve after Prakash Padukone who won in 1980.

NOTABLE AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS:
•  1999 – was awarded “Arjuna Award” by the Government of India
•  2001 – was awarded “Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna” by the Government of India
•  2005 – was awarded “Padma Shri” by the Government of India
•  2009 – was awarded “Dronacharya Award” by the Government of India