| Pullela Gopichand Quick Info | |
|---|---|
| Height | 6 ft |
| Weight | 68 kg |
| Date of Birth | November 16, 1973 |
| Zodiac Sign | Scorpio |
| Eye Color | Dark Brown |
Pullela Gopichand is a former Indian badminton player and coach who won the All England Open Badminton Championships in 2001. He has also served as the Chief National Coach for the India national badminton team. Pullela Gopichand has been a recipient of several accolades including Padma Shri (the fourth-highest civilian award of the Republic of India) in 2005 and Padma Bhushan (the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India) in 2014.
Born Name
Pullela Gopichand
Nick Name
Gopichand
Sun Sign
Scorpio
Born Place
Nagandla, Andhra Pradesh, India
Nationality
Education
Pullela Gopichand studied at St. Paul’s High School, a private, co-educational school located in Hyderabad, Telangana. He then attended Andhra Vidyalaya College of Arts, Science and Commerce (popularly known as A. V. College) and graduated with a degree in public administration.
Occupation
Former Badminton Player, Coach
Family
- Father – Pullela Subash Chandra (Banker)
- Mother – Pullela Subbaravamma
- Siblings – Pullela Rajshekhar (Older Brother), Hima Bindu (Sister)
Handedness
Right
Build
Slim
Height
6 ft or 183 cm
Weight
68 kg or 150 lbs
Girlfriend / Spouse
Pullela Gopichand has dated –
- P. V. V. Lakshmi (2002-Present) – He tied the knot with P. V. V. Lakshmi (an eight-time Indian national champion in badminton who represented India in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics) on June 5, 2002, and the duo was blessed with two children – a daughter named Gayathri and a son named Vishnu.
Race / Ethnicity
Asian (Indian)
Hair Color
Black
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
Smile
Pullela Gopichand Facts
- Growing up, he was initially interested in cricket but started playing badminton after the encouragement from his older brother.
- Pullela Gopichand was coached by S. M. Arif as well as trained under Ganguly Prasad at the SAI Bangalore.
- In 1996, he won his first National Badminton Championship title and then won the title five times in a row, until 2000.
- He bagged a gold in the SAARC badminton tournament at Vijayawada in 1996 and defended his crown in the next games held at Colombo in 1997.
- In 1998, Pullela Gopichand won two gold medals and one silver medal at the Indian National Games held in Imphal, Manipur.
- He went on to represent India in 3 Thomas Cup tournaments.
- As he participated in the 1998 Commonwealth Games, he won a silver in the team event and a bronze in men’s singles.
- Gopichand won the Asian satellite tournament held in Hyderabad in 1999.
- He emerged as the winner of the Toulouse Open Championship in France and the Scottish Open Championship in Scotland in 1999.
- He was honored with an Arjuna Award (the second-highest sporting honor in India) in 1999.
- Pullela Gopichand went on to secure the All England Open Badminton Championships at Birmingham in 2001, after defeating the then-world number one Peter Gade in the semi-finals and then Chen Hong of China in the finals. With this, he became the 2nd Indian to achieve the feat after Prakash Padukone (who won in 1980).
- In 2001, he was awarded Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna (the highest sporting honor in India).
- In 2008, he founded the Gopichand Badminton Academy in Hyderabad, Telangana. He reportedly mortgaged his own house for that. The academy has produced many noted badminton players including Saina Nehwal, P. V. Sindhu, Sai Praneeth, Parupalli Kashyap, Srikanth Kidambi, Arundhati Pantawane, Gurusai Datt, and Arun Vishnu.
- He received the Dronacharya Award (sports coaching honor of the Republic of India) in 2009.
- Pullela Gopichand was appointed as the official Indian Olympic Badminton Team coach at the 2016 Rio Olympics held in Brazil.
- His biography titled Shuttler’s Flick: Making Every Match Count was published by Simon & Schuster India in 2021.
Featured Image by Prime Minister’s Office / Press Information Bureau on behalf of Prime Minister’s Office, Government of India / Government Open Data License – India (GODL)
