Quick Info
| Profession | Badminton Player |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Indian |
| Date of Birth | 10/06/1955 |
| Age | 70 years |
| Birthplace | Udupi, Karnataka, India |
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Bio/Wiki
| Prakash Padukone is widely regarded as the pioneer of Indian badminton. He was ranked World No. 1 in 1980, the same year he became the first Indian to win the All England Badminton Championship. Known as the 'Gentle Tiger' on the court, he achieved unprecedented success on the international stage and is revered for his exceptional skill and sportsmanship. |
Physical Stats & More
| Height | 185 cm |
|---|---|
| Weight | 75 kg |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Hair Color | Black |
Educational Qualification(s)
| College/University | Not Known |
|---|---|
| Educational Qualification | Graduate |
Personal Life
| Religion | Hinduism |
|---|---|
| Caste | Brahmin (Chitrapur Saraswat) |
Relationships & More
| Marital Status | Married |
|---|
Family
| Father | Ramesh Padukone (Secretary of the Mysore Badminton Association) |
|---|---|
| Mother | Ahilya Padukone |
| Siblings | 1 |
| Spouse | Ujjala Padukone (Travel Agent) |
| Children |
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Career
| Won first National Men's singles title at age 16 in 1972 | |
| Won National Senior Championship for nine consecutive years from 1971 to 1979 | |
| Won men's singles gold medal at 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Canada | |
| Won 'Evening of Champions' at Royal Albert Hall, London in 1979 | |
| Ranked World No. 1 in 1980 | |
| Won Danish Open in 1980 | |
| Won Swedish Open in 1980 | |
| Became first Indian to win All England Championship in 1980, defeating Liem Swie King of Indonesia | |
| Won Inaugural World Cup in 1981 | |
| Won Bronze Medal in World Championships in 1983 | |
| Retired from competitive badminton in 1989 | |
| Served as Chairman of Badminton Association of India after retirement | |
| Coached Indian National Badminton Team from 1993 to 1996 | |
| Founded Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy in 1994 | |
| Co-founded Olympic Gold Quest with Geet Sethi | |
| Academy has produced notable players including Lakshya Sen |
Awards & Honours
| Arjuna Award (1972) | |
| Padma Shri (1982) |
Some Lesser Known Facts
| 1. Prakash Padukone's surname originated from his village, Padukone, near Kundapura, Udupi district, Karnataka. | |
| 2. He achieved the National Junior Champion title in 1964. | |
| 3. In 1971, at just 16 years old, he became the youngest player to win the national senior championship. | |
| 4. From 1971 to 1979, Prakash secured the National Senior championship title for nine consecutive years. | |
| 5. His parents arranged his marriage with Ujjala. | |
| 6. In 1979, Prakash triumphed at the 'Evening of Champions' held at the Royal Albert Hall in London. | |
| 7. In 1980, he made history by becoming the first Indian to win the men’s singles title at the All England Championship. | |
| 8. During 1980 to 1985, he claimed victory in 15 titles. | |
| 9. Most of his international career training took place in Denmark. | |
| 10. He retired in 1991 and later became the chairman of the Badminton Association of India. | |
| 11. In 1994, he established the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy (PPBA) in collaboration with others. | |
| 12. Prakash was a co-founder of Olympic Gold Quest in 2001. | |
| 13. In an interview, Prakash shared that his favorite movie of his daughter Deepika is Bajirao Mastani. | |
| 14. He was the first to achieve a 'Grand Slam': the Swedish, Danish and All England titles in succession. |