Prakash Padukone

India's ace badminton player, Prakash Padukone was born in Bangalore on June 10, 1956. At the age of 15, he won the Indian Nationals and dominated the Nationals for a decade (1971-1979). He also won the gold medal at the 1978 edition of Commonwealth games.

The best year of his career was 1980 when he dominated the European circuit and won the Danish Open, Swedish Open and several other titles. The crowning glory of his career came when he won the All England Badminton Open in 1980, the first Indian to win the title.

In the next year, he reached the finals of All England Badminton open but lost to Liem Swie King. He turned a professional in 1982 and retired in 1991.

He served as the coach of Indian National Badminton team for the Thomas Cup in 1993 and 1996. Now, he runs the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy at Bangalore.