Ranking the greatest achievements by Indian shuttlers in the history of the game

1. Prakash Padukone – Winner 1980 All England Championships

There can never be an article on the greatest achievements by an Indian badminton player minus Prakash Padukone’s incredible feat in 1980, when he became the first Indian to win the All England Championships , incidentally in London and not Birmingham,where is staged now.

Padukone defeated many fine players in his route to becoming champion and then in the final, defeated Liem Swie King in straight games to clinch the title.

Three years latre, he created further history when he became the first Indian player to win a medal at the World Championships, clinching the Bronze medal in Copenhagen.

At a time, when India was known for its prowess in hockey and cricket, Padukone’s achievement came as a breath of fresh air and in the coming years, insipred many a bdding athlete to pursue badminton as a career option.