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| Human Interest | |
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General Interest | |
| Injuries | She missed the 2021 World Championships in Huelva, Spain, due to groin and knee injuries. (olympics.com, 23 Aug 2022) Her training was disrupted by shin, ankle, hip and wrist injuries during 2019. She withdrew from the 2020 Premier Badminton League season in India in order to rehabilitate. (indiatoday.in, 24 Nov 2019, 27 Jan 2019; news18.com, 19 Jul 2019) In March 2019 she was hospitalised after being diagnosed with gastroenteritis and pancreatitis during the Swiss Open in Basel. (timesnownews.com, 14 Mar 2019) She sustained an ankle injury in December 2018. (bwfbadminton.com, 07 Feb 2019) She was dealing with a knee injury at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. She then underwent knee surgery in August 2017. (bwfbadminton.com, 27 Jan 2019; timesofindia.indiatimes.com, 05 Nov 2017) She was forced to withdraw from the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, due to a groin injury. (hindustantimes.com, 05 Nov 2016) |
Further Personal Information | |
| Occupation | Athlete |
General Interest | |
| Sporting philosophy / motto | "My philosophy is to not be scared of anyone. If I play well, great. If I don't, I learn from the match and move on." (bwfbadminton.com, 01 Mar 2021) |
| Other sports | She has achieved a brown belt in karate. (ONS, 20 Jul 2016) |
| Milestones | She claimed India's first medal in badminton at the Olympic Games, following her bronze medal in singles at the 2012 Games in London. She is also the first Indian badminton player to have competed at three Olympic Games, having participated at the 2008, 2012 and 2016 editions of the Games. (SportsDeskOnline, 31 Jul 2018; ONS, 20 Jul 2016; olympicgoldquest.in, 16 Aug 2015) She became the first Indian female athlete to win an individual gold medal in badminton at the Commonwealth Games when she was victorious in singles at the 2010 Games in Delhi, India. (SportsDeskOnline, 23 Dec 2019) In 2009 she became the first Indian badminton player to win a Badminton World Federation [BWF] Super Series title when she claimed victory in singles at the Indonesian Open in Jakarta, Indonesia. (SportsDeskOnline, 23 Dec 2019) She became the first Indian badminton player to win gold at the world junior championships when she was triumphant in singles at the 2008 edition in Pune, India. (SportsDeskOnline, 23 Dec 2019) |
Further Personal Information | |
| Family | Husband Parupalli Kashyap |
| Residence | India |
General Interest | |
| Famous relatives | Her husband Parupalli Kashyap has represented India in badminton, and reached the semifinals of the singles event at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Her parents were both district badminton champions in Haryana, India. (insidethegames.biz, 21 Oct 2020; SportsDeskOnline, 28 Nov 2018; bwfbadminton.com, 14 Nov 2018; olympicgoldquest.in, 16 Aug 2015; ONS, 20 Jul 2016) |
Sport Specific Information | |
| Why this sport? | Her parents were both badminton players. |
General Interest | |
| Hero / Idol | Indian badminton players Aparna Popat and Pullela Gopichand, Swiss tennis player Roger Federer, Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar. (olympicgoldquest.in, 16 Aug 2015; rediff.com, 07 Jun 2013; tssonnet.com, 14 Sep 2007) |
| Awards and honours | In 2016 she received the Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award given by the Indian government. (ONS, 20 Jul 2016) She was named Sports Illustrated India's Sportsperson of the Year in 2009 and 2013. (zeenews.india.com, 01 Oct 2013) In 2010 she received the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian award given by the Indian government. (olympicgoldquest.in, 29 Aug 2013) In 2010 she received the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, India's highest honour for achievements in sport. (olympicgoldquest.in, 29 Aug 2013) In 2009 she received the Arjuna Award in India in recognition of her achievements in badminton. (olympicgoldquest.in, 29 Aug 2013) She was named 2009 CNN-IBN Indian of the Year in the sports category. (sportskeeda.com, 20 Dec 2013) She was named 2008 Most Promising Player of the Year by the Badminton World Federation [BWF]. (ONS, 20 Jul 2016) |
Sport Specific Information | |
| Name of coach | Parupalli Kashyap [personal, husband], IND |
| Handedness | Right |
| When and where did you begin this sport? | She began playing badminton at age eight at a summer training camp at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium in Hyderabad, India. |
Further Personal Information | |
| Languages | Hindi, English |
General Interest | |
| Other information | INJURY STRUGGLES She has dealt with numerous injuries that have led her to consider retiring from the sport. "It is not easy, sometimes you feel like giving up. The mental part is very difficult because tournaments are happening, players are winning and I am just sitting and watching them play. There is no secret to injuries, you have to face them and come back stronger." (timesofindia.indiatimes.com, 12 Jan 2022; khelnow.com, 2021; sportswallah.com, 20 Feb 2019; indiatoday.in, 27 Jan 2019) HUSBAND AND COACH Her husband Parupalli Kashyap began coaching her in 2018. "Earlier I used to be someone who didn't need much coaching from the outside, but after my [knee] surgery [in 2017] I feel I've become a more moody type of player, who needs to be boosted. I know I'm getting irritated at some points. But he's helping me come out of that situation, sometimes in a good way, sometimes in a bad way. If the good way is not happening well with me, then he shouts at me. I know it's for my own good, but it pinches me at that point of time and I get that bit of [motivation]." (bwfbadminton.com, 07 Feb 2019) BOOK In 2012 her autobiography 'Playing to Win: My Life On and Off Court' was published. (ibnlive.in.com, 08 Nov 2012) |