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BADMINTON
Women's singles
Saina Nehwal
Currently ranked world No. 5. Born in Hisar, Haryana, but grew up in Hyderabad. Playing badminton since she was eight.
Age: 22
Achievements
The first Indian shuttler to enter the Olympics quarter-finals at the Beijing Games.
Won the Chinese Taipei GP gold 2008
Won her first Super Series title, the Indonesia Open, in 2009
Won the India Open GP, Indonesia Open Super Series and the Singapore Open Super Series in 2010
Won gold in the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi in 2010
Won the Swiss Open in 2011
Won the Swiss Open, Thailand Open & Indonesia Open Super Series Premier in 2012
Conferred Arjuna Award in 2009
Conferred Padma Shree in 2009
Won the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna in 2010
Men's singles
Parupalli Kashyap
The World No. 23 is India's leading men's player in the singles category.
Age: 25
Achievements
Gold:
Won gold at National Games in 2007
Silver:
Won silver at New Delhi Commonwealth Games (Mixed Team) in 2010
Runner-up at Thailand Open in 2009
Runner-up at Spanish Open in 2009
Runner-up at Toulouse Open in 2009
Bronze:
Won bronze at New Delhi Commonwealth Games (singles) in 2010
Mixed Doubles
Jwala Gutta, Valiyaveetil Diju
Women's doubles: Jwala Gutta, Ashwini Ponnappa
Jwala Gutta
Gutta became a household name in 2010 when with doubles partner Ashwini Poonapa she won the women's gold at the Commonwealth Games. She also created a name for herself in the mixed doubles category with V Diju.
This mixed doubles and doubles' specialist has won National badminton Championships 13 times repeatedly till 2010.
Age: 28
Achievements
Won Pakistan International Challenge (Women's Doubles) in 2007
Won Indian International Challenge (Women's Doubles) in 2007
Won Nepal International Series (Women's Doubles) in 2008
Won the Dutch Open Grand Prix (Women's Doubles) in 2008
Gold:
Won gold at New Delhi Commonwealth Games (Women's doubles) in 2010
Bronze:
Won bronze at World Championships (Women's doubles) in 2011
Ashwini Ponnappa
India's leading badminton player in the women's doubles category.
Age: 22
Achievements
Gold:
Won gold at New Delhi Commonwealth Games (Women's doubles) in 2010
Won gold at South Asian Games in 2006
Won gold at South Asian Games (Mixed doubles) in 2010
Silver:
Won silver at New Delhi Commonwealth Games (Mixed Team Event) in 2010
Bronze:
Won bronze in World Championships (Women's doubles) in 2011
V Diju
Current national mixed doubles champion along with Jwala Gutta. The Diju-Gutta partnership in mixed-doubles had won many accolades.
They placed at 14 in the world rankings.
Age: 31
Achievements
Won the National Championship (Doubles) in 2002
Won the Bitburger Open Championship in 2008
Was runner-up at the Indian Open in 2009
Won the Chinese Taipei Grand Prix in 2009
Silver:
Won silver at the World Super Series Masters in 2009