Pullela Gopichand honoured with the exemplary ‘Sports Leader of the Decade Award’ 

What’s the story?

Pullela Gopichand picked up the acclaimed 'Sports Leader of the Decade award’ at the 15th edition of CNBC-TV18 India Business Leader Awards, held in Mumbai on Friday.

In case you did not know

Gopichand, who is the current Chief National Coach for the Indian badminton team, is a recipient of several awards and honours. He was conferred with the prestigious Arjuna Award in 1999, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award in 2001, Padma Shri in 2005, Dronacharya award in 2009 and the Padma Bhushan in 2014.

The heart of the matter

Pullela Gopichand won the 'Iconic Sports Leader of the Decade' award for his extraordinary contribution in training a large number of badminton players who have represented India in major international events including Olympics and have won laurels for the country.

Pullela runs the Gopichand Academy in Hyderabad, which has produced several badminton stars such as the London Olympics bronze medallist Saina Nehwal, Rio Olympics silver medallist P.V. Sindhu and the star performer Kidambi Srikanth.

What’s next?

Gopichand who has been deeply involved in taking badminton to a higher level in the country is currently working on improving the sporting infrastructure and ecosystem in the country. He also announced his decision recently to don the role of a mentor to the coaches after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. It will be interesting to see if Gopichand, with his rich experience, knowledge, and skills can transform India into one of the leading countries in the field of sports.

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