Bhamidipati Sai Praneeth is an Indian professional badminton player from Hyderabad, Telangana. A men's singles specialist, he is best known for winning the bronze medal at the 2019 BWF World Championships in Basel, Switzerland, becoming the first Indian male singles player to win a medal at the World Championships in 36 years.
Key facts
| Full name | Bhamidipati Sai Praneeth |
|---|---|
| Known as | B. Sai Praneeth |
| Born | 10 August 1992, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh (now Telangana), India |
| Sport | Badminton |
| Event | Men's singles |
| Handedness | Right-handed |
| Country | India |
| Notable honour | Arjuna Award (2019) |
Background
Praneeth was born in Hyderabad and took up badminton as a child. He trained at the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy in Hyderabad under former All England champion Pullela Gopichand, the academy that has produced several leading Indian shuttlers including Saina Nehwal, P. V. Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth.
Career
Early career
Praneeth came up through the Indian junior and senior national circuits and gradually established himself on the BWF international tour during the early 2010s, winning titles at lower-tier International Series and Grand Prix events.
Singapore Open 2017
His breakthrough came at the 2017 Singapore Open, a BWF Superseries tournament, where he defeated compatriot Kidambi Srikanth in the final to claim his first Superseries title. Earlier in the same year, he had reached the final of the Syed Modi International in Lucknow.
2019 World Championships bronze
At the BWF World Championships held in Basel in August 2019, Praneeth reached the semi-finals in men's singles before losing to eventual champion Kento Momota of Japan. The bronze medal made him the first Indian male singles player since Prakash Padukone (bronze in 1983) to win a medal at the World Championships.
Tokyo Olympics
Praneeth represented India at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games (held in 2021), competing in the men's singles event. He was eliminated in the group stage.
Honours and recognition
- Arjuna Award (2019) – conferred by the Government of India for outstanding achievement in sport.
- Bronze medal, BWF World Championships, Basel (2019).
- Singapore Open Superseries champion (2017).
Playing style and significance
Praneeth is regarded as a stroke player with a deceptive net game and strong defensive skills. Alongside Srikanth, H. S. Prannoy and Lakshya Sen, he has been part of the generation of Indian men's singles players who emerged from the Gopichand Academy and helped raise the international profile of Indian men's badminton during the late 2010s.
Related topics
- Badminton in India
- Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy
- Kidambi Srikanth
- H. S. Prannoy
- BWF World Championships
- India at the 2020 Summer Olympics
- Arjuna Award
References
- Wikidata: Q1369271
- Badminton World Federation (BWF) player profile.
- Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India – National Sports Awards announcements (2019).