The Gopichand Factor: The Rise and Rise of Indian Badminton

by ABHIJEET KULKARNI

Prakash Padukone and his All-England championship victory in 1980 had firmed up India’s relationship with badminton, and Pullela Gopichand’s win in the All England in 2001 cemented it. But it is the last decade that saw a definite transformation in Indian badminton—a decade in which Gopichand moved into coaching with his eponymous academy in Hyderabad. Gopichand’s band of racquet-wielding champions, among them Saina Nehwal, P.V. Sindhu, Kidambi Srikanth, B. Sai Praneeth and a host of others, have excelled on the world stage. Since 2011, India has bagged a medal in every edition of the World Championship, not to mention Saina’s Olympic bronze in 2012 and Sindhu’s silver in 2016. What is behind India’s emergence on the world badminton stage? What obstacles threatened to derail this project? What lies ahead in the future? Abhijeet S. Kulkarni, who has closely followed the new energy in the sport from its early years, delves deep into the heart of it to write of the blood, sweat and tears that have gone into this unprecedented success story. Partly an investigation of the sport in India, and partly a deep dive into the coaching techniques and mental strategies that have aided its transformation, The Gopichand Factor is the definitive history of the rise and rise of Indian badminton.

Genres: Sports

216 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 8, 2021

Reviews

[Jagan K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great introduction to the badminton scene of India. The author doesn't hold back and presents a very bold account of the state of affairs. Given the title I expected more about Gopichand - beyond Badminton which is not present that much. A very useful book if you're interested to know about Indian Badminton

[Vijai Jayaram · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a treasure trove of information, anecdotes and trivia for a badminton player and afficionado like me. It chronicles Indian badminton through the ages - even prior to Padukone and Modi. It critically analyses various aspects such as:

The coaching structure in India
Problems faced by the players
The contributions of Gopichand and Padukone
The stories (and controversies) behind a few legendary players
Infrastructure in India or the lack thereof (though that is changing)
The BAI and it's functioning
The PBL
Challenges and vision for the future

All in all, it is apparent that the author has followed the sport for many a year, is passionate about the sport and has a POV which he does not hesitate to express. His honesty, to me atleast, shines through.

I found this book extremely enjoyable and would highly recommend this to badminton lovers and even to those who want to get a little closer to this lovely sport.

[Mohan Ram · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is a wide sweep into the world of Indian badminton and the issues that haunted it , and still continue to do so albeit to a lesser extent today. One does gain a good understanding of the challenges faced by players starting with Prakash Padukone and the subsequent generation of players. One does feel that a more in-depth analysis of the either of the two themes - The Gopichand Factor and his indisputable impact on raising the profile of the sport, or the wider theme of Indian badminton itself deserved a closer and longer analysis to raise this book from good to excellent.

A good read nevertheless that leaves you intrigued about the subject and wanting to know more.