Badminton

Silver

P.V. Sindhu won a Silver medal in the 2016 Olympics held in Brazil (Rio de Janeiro). This is her highest achievement and made her one of India's most celebrated badminton players. Born on July 5, 1995, in Andhra Pradesh, she has won several other international competitions including Indonesia Open, Macau Open, Malaysia Masters, and China Open. For her achievements, she received the Arjuna award in 2013, Padmashree in 2015, and Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna in 2016.

Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna

Saina Nehwal received the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award in 2010, which is the highest sports award in India. Born on March 17, 1990, in Hissar, Haryana, she became the first Indian woman to win the World Badminton Federation super series championship. She received the Arjuna Award in 2009 and Padmashree in 2010, but the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna in 2010 was the highest honor. She also won the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games by defeating Wong Nu Chu of Malaysia.

Men's team

The Thomas Cup is commonly called the world men's team championship. Member countries of the World Badminton Federation participate in this tournament. When it started in 1948-49, the competition was conducted once every three years. In 1982, the rules were changed, and since then, the tournament is conducted every alternate year. Only twelve countries participate in the final round of this tournament, and it is conducted at the same venue as the women's Uber Cup. Indonesia, China, and Malaysia are the most successful teams in this tournament.

Betty Uber, a British player

The Uber Cup is named after Betty Uber, a British badminton player. She mooted the idea of introducing a championship for women similar to the men's Thomas Cup, and hence the cup is named after her. This is commonly called the women's team world championship, where member nations of the World Badminton Federation participate. When this tournament started in 1956-57, it was conducted once every three years. From 1984, it has been conducted every alternate year, similar to the Thomas Cup format.