In the high-stakes world of international badminton, few names shine as brightly as Kidambi Srikanth. Hailing from a modest farming family in Andhra Pradesh, this shuttler has risen through sheer grit and talent to become one of India’s most celebrated athletes. Born on February 7, 1993, Srikanth picked up the racket at age seven, inspired by his elder brother Nand Gopal, a promising player himself. What started as sibling admiration quickly turned into a lifelong passion.
Training rigorously at the SAI center in Visakhapatnam alongside his brother, Srikanth’s early years were marked by unwavering dedication. His big break came when he joined the famed Pullela Gopichand Academy, where relentless practice honed his aggressive playing style. By 2011, accolades began pouring in: a silver at the Commonwealth Youth Games and two golds at the All India Junior International Championships.
A pivotal moment arrived when his head coach advised switching from doubles to singles. The decision paid off spectacularly. In 2013, he clinched the Thailand Open title, signaling his arrival on the global stage. The following year, in a stunning upset, he defeated Olympic gold medalist Lin Dan on Chinese soil to win the China Open. Srikanth became the first Indian man to claim gold at the 2015 Swiss Open Grand Prix Gold.
Rio 2016 saw him reach the men’s singles quarterfinals, etching his name in Olympic history. But 2017 was his golden year—four Super Series titles in a single calendar year, joining legends like Lee Chong Wei and Chen Long. A knee injury sidelined him briefly, yet he roared back with Commonwealth Games gold in 2018, topping the world rankings as the first Indian male shuttler to do so.
Though Tokyo 2020 eluded him, Srikanth scripted history with a silver at the 2021 BWF World Championships. Leading the young Indian squad, he secured the Thomas Cup in 2022, adding a singles bronze and mixed team silver at the Commonwealth Games. Honors followed: Arjuna Award in 2015 and Padma Shri in 2018. Today, Srikanth’s journey from rural roots to global glory inspires a new generation of shuttlers.