Overview
P. Gayatri Gopichand is an Indian former badminton player and coach, best known as the wife and long-time support of Pullela Gopichand, the All England Open champion and chief national badminton coach of India. She has been associated with the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy in Hyderabad, which has produced several leading Indian shuttlers.
Key facts
| Full name | P. Gayatri Gopichand (née Reddy) |
|---|---|
| Known for | Former badminton player; association with Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy |
| Sport | Badminton |
| Spouse | Pullela Gopichand |
| Children | Gayatri Gopichand (daughter), Vishnu (son) |
| Based in | Hyderabad, Telangana, India |
Background
Gayatri played competitive badminton in India during the 1990s and represented the country at the junior and senior levels before turning to a supportive role in the sport. She came from a Telugu-speaking family and met Pullela Gopichand through the badminton circuit, and the two married in 2002.
Role in Indian badminton
After marriage, Gayatri stepped back from playing to support her husband's career, which culminated in his All England Open Badminton Championships title in 2001. She has subsequently been part of the wider ecosystem of the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy, established in Hyderabad in 2008, which has trained players including Saina Nehwal, P. V. Sindhu, Kidambi Srikanth and Parupalli Kashyap.
Family
The couple's daughter, also named Gayatri Gopichand, is an emerging badminton player who has competed on the junior international circuit and in BWF events, often partnering Treesa Jolly in women's doubles. Their son Vishnu is also a trainee at the academy.
Significance
Within Indian badminton, Gayatri Gopichand is recognised as part of one of the sport's most influential households, contributing to the institutional support that has made Hyderabad a major centre for elite badminton training in India over the past two decades.