Ashwini Ponnappa: The Unsung Heroine of Indian Badminton

A girl with a cute and a lovely smile which charm everyone. A girl with natural flair for sports which is envied by every wannabe sports person. It’s Ashwini Ponnappa- the unsung heroine of Indian Badminton who is all set to face the world along with her partner Jwala Gutta in The India Open Super Series starting April 26.

Born and brought up in Bangalore, Ashwini took to Badminton right from her childhood days. Later when her talent was noticed by her parents, she was admitted to the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy where she worked on her talent.

Ashwini with her CWG Gold

Within few years she made up her way to the nationals where she along with her partner Nitya Sosale twice won the National Junior Badminton championship titles in the girl’s doubles events in the years 2006 and 2007. She also won the Gold medal at the South Asian games held in 2006.

In the year 2009, partnering Jwala Gutta, they together for the first time won women’s doubles title at the National Badminton Championship. There has been no turning back since then for the girl who is known as the hardest smasher in the badminton’s women circuit.

Since then Ashwini Ponnappa has been regular for the Senior Women’s double partnering the more experienced Jwala Gutta. Together the duo, with their talent coupled with good look and glamour, has fairly succeeded in popularizing the game in the country not forgetting Saina’s contribution.

With her Women's Double Partner Jwala Gutta

Wining the Commonwealth Gold in the Women’s double, the left hand-right hand combination duo redefined the way women’s double were perceived. They catapulted women’s doubles to the forefront of badminton, alongside the more glamorous singles events. They not only won the Gold in the CWG but also help equalized India’s tally with England before Saina propelled India to the second spot with her Gold.

She created a record in Paris’ World Championship in 2010 when her smash was measured at 260kmph, the best so far in Women’s badminton. While partner Jwala’s best is measured at 219kmph.

Ranked 20^th in Women’s Double according to the latest Badminton World Federation, Jwala and the girl from Bangalore has played 51 matches to date wining 24 and loosing 27. Ashwini is happy and elated partnering Jwala to the extent that she once told media “Playing with Jwala was the best thing that happens to her”.

Seeded 8 in the upcoming India Open, Aswini and Jwala would be eyeing to repeat their CWG triumph in the same venue where they created history, becoming the first Indian Doubles pair to win a Gold in the CWG. Shifting her base to Hyderabad after partnering Jwala Gutta, Ashwini have been practising under the guidance of former Chief National Coach Syed Mohammed Arif at the Lal Bahadur Indoor stadium.

Ashwini along with her partner Jwala Gutta has been touted by Mohammed Arif as a strong contender for the India Open. He went on to say that the duo have a good chance of podium finish even in the Olympic.

With no other future plans apart from her game, she along with partner Jwala are working hard to make a foray into the World Top 10. Qualifying for London Olympic 2012 has been their major priority for sometime before shifting their focus to India Open.

Having no role model to look upto Ashwini picks up every positive character of people around her. Similarly she picks up all the good aspects of a player and tries to incorporate that within herself. With the India Open Super Series to begin in another couple of days, it now remains to be seen whether Ashwini can smash her way upto another glory along with her partner Jwala.