Prakash Padukone is an Indian former badminton player widely regarded as one of the pioneers of the sport in India. He rose to international prominence in 1980 by becoming the first Indian to win the All England Open Badminton Championships, which was then considered the most prestigious tournament in world badminton. Over his career he held the world No. 1 ranking and played a leading role in establishing badminton as a competitive sport in India.
| Full name | Prakash Padukone |
|---|---|
| Born | 10 June 1955, Bangalore, Mysore State (now Karnataka), India |
| Sport | Badminton |
| Plays | Right-handed |
| Major title | All England Open champion, 1980 |
| Highest ranking | World No. 1 (1980) |
| Honours | Arjuna Award (1972); Padma Shri (1982) |
| Spouse | Ujjala Padukone |
| Children | Anisha Padukone, Deepika Padukone |
| Associated institution | Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy, Bangalore |
Prakash Padukone was born on 10 June 1955 in Bangalore. His father, Ramesh Padukone, was a long-time secretary of the Mysore Badminton Association, which gave Prakash early exposure to the sport. He took up badminton in childhood and trained extensively in Bangalore.
He won his first national-level junior title in 1962 and went on to win the senior National Badminton Championship of India for nine consecutive years from 1971 to 1979, an unmatched run in Indian badminton at the time.
Padukone began competing internationally in the early 1970s. He represented India at the Commonwealth Games in Christchurch in 1974 and built a reputation as a steady, tactical singles player known for control, deception and court craft rather than power.
At the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Padukone won the gold medal in men's singles, defeating Derek Talbot of England in the final. This victory marked India's emergence in international badminton.
In 1980 he had his most successful year. He won the Danish Open and the Swedish Open in quick succession, and then won the All England Open Championship in March 1980, defeating Liem Swie King of Indonesia in the final at Wembley. With this title he became the first Indian to win the All England, and he reached the world No. 1 ranking the same year.
Padukone won the World Cup badminton title in 1981 in Kuala Lumpur. He continued to play on the international circuit through the early and mid-1980s, winning further open titles in Europe and Asia. He retired from competitive badminton in 1991.
After retirement, Padukone turned to coaching and administration. He served as the chairman of the Badminton Association of India's selection committee and was involved with the Indian national team in a mentoring role. In 1994 he founded the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy in Bangalore, which has produced several leading Indian players. He has also been associated with the Olympic Gold Quest, a not-for-profit foundation co-founded with billiards champion Geet Sethi to support Indian Olympic athletes.
Prakash Padukone's 1980 All England title is regarded as a landmark moment for Indian badminton, as the tournament was then treated as the unofficial world championship. His success opened up international opportunities for later Indian players such as Pullela Gopichand, who became the second Indian to win the All England in 2001, and subsequent generations including Saina Nehwal, P. V. Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth. Through his academy and his role with Olympic Gold Quest, he has continued to shape elite sport in India well beyond his playing career.
Padukone is married to Ujjala Padukone. The couple have two daughters: Anisha Padukone, who has been associated with sports administration and golf, and Deepika Padukone, a leading actress in Hindi cinema. The family is based in Bangalore.