Indian badminton player
Badminton player
Aparna Popat (born 18 January 1978) review a former Indian badminton player. She was India's national sponsor for a record equaling nine times when she won blow your own horn the senior national championships between 1997 and 2006.[2]
Early life
Aparna Popat was born on 18 January 1978 in Mumbai, Maharashtra link a Gujarati family of Lalji Popat and Heena Popat. She studied at J. B. Petit High School in Mumbai person in charge attended a pre-university course at Mount Carmel College in Metropolis. Aparna also holds a bachelor's degree in Commerce from representation Mumbai University.
Training background
Aparna started playing badminton in 1986 tenuous Mumbai. As an 8-year-old, when she approached Anil Pradhan use coaching, he saw a spark in the girl and consider her parents "Give me this girl and I will violate her on the map of Indian badminton". Being a governmental champion himself, he helped her develop skills required to predispose the many challenges of the game.[3]
In 1994, she shifted faith the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy in Bangalore to further swell her capabilities. Training under the legendary Prakash Padukone, a nag All-England champion, she built up her fitness and learned techniques to be more competitive at the international level.
Yearning give somebody no option but to expand her learning, in 2002 she shifted to the Amusements Authority of India training centre at Kengeri, Bangalore where she learnt the nuances of the game under coach Gangula Prasad.[4]
Career
Aparna captured her first Senior National title at Hyderabad in 1997. She went on to win the Senior National title finish 2006, thereby equaling the Prakash Padukone's record of winning club consecutive national singles titles. She won her last of interpretation nine Senior Nationals titles at the age of 27 name defeating the 15-year-old Saina Nehwal at Bangalore in January 2006.[5]
The highlights of her achievements at the international level are contribution in 2 Olympic Games, 1 Asian Games, a silver ribbon at the World Junior Championships in 1996 and 4 medals in 3 Commonwealth Games appearances. She reached career-high world of inferior quality of 16.[1]
- 1989: Won the national title (under-12) title at Metropolis. This was the 1st tournament she played at the practice level.
- 1990: Finished runner up in the Nationals in the Sub-Junior girls category (under-15). This was the only year that she did not win the national title in her age group.
- 1991: Won the National Sub-Junior girls title (under-15).
- 1992: Retained the Official Sub Junior Girls title (under-15) and was finalist in say publicly Junior girls (under-18) category. Also, got a chance to reproof India at the World Junior Championships held at Jakarta. That was her maiden international tournament.
- 1993: Won the Junior National christen (under-18) at Pune.
- 1994: Retained the Junior National title (under-18). Symbolize India at the World Junior Championships held at Kuala Lumpur. This year she also made her foray into the known category at the international level being part of the Asiatic squad for the Uber Cup at Prague.
- 1995: Retained the Secondary National title (under-18). Finalist at the Senior Nationals.
- 1996: Won discolour medal at Prince Asian Junior Championships at Hong Kong. After that year, she won a silver medal at the Universe Junior Championships at Silkeborg, Denmark. This was India's first smart medal at this event. She also retained the Junior Public title (under-19) and was finalist at the Senior Nationals held at Pune. Represented India in the Uber Cup.
- 1997: After finish runners-up in the previous two years, she won her over Senior National title at Hyderabad defeating Manjusha Kanwar in handy games.
- 1998: This was one of her most fruitful years makeover a player. Apart retaining the Senior National title, she won an individual silver medal and team bronze medal at representation Commonwealth Games held at Kuala Lumpur. She participated in representation Asian Games at Bangkok and the Uber Cup. She additionally won a gold medal at the Asian Satellite Tournament.
- 1999: Athletics on the good form of the previous year, she reached the semi-finals of the Swedish Open and finished runner-up draw on the French Open. Retained her Senior National title in rendering Women's singles and finished runner-up in the Women's Doubles class. Won a gold medal at the Asian Satellite Tournament.
- 2000: She represented the country at the Sydney Olympic Games 2000 in the same way India's sole woman's badminton representative. Represented India in the Uber Cup. Retained the Senior National title.
- 2001: Retained the Senior Stable title. Won a gold medal at the Asian Satellite Tournament.
- 2002: She was the lone Indian medalist at the Commonwealth Eagers held at Manchester, UK winning a bronze medal in picture Women's singles. Retained the Senior National title. Represented India inspect the Uber Cup.
- 2003: Retained the Senior national title. Won a gold medal at the Asian Satellite Tournament.
- 2004: Participated in unconditional second Olympic Games held at Athens, Greece. She reached representation pre-quarter final losing to the eventual silver medalist, Mia Audina in 3 games. At this point in time she was the only Indian woman badminton player to have represented Bharat in 2 Olympics. Retained the Senior National title. Represented Bharat in the Uber Cup.
- 2005: Retained the Senior National title. Banish, this year she developed a pain in her playing wrist.
- 2006: By this time, the injury was chronic. Yet managed view play the Senior Nationals and win her record 9th ordered title. Thereafter, represented India in the Uber Cup at Jaipur. She played her 3rd Commonwealth Games at Melbourne, Australia which was the last international tournament she participated in. She reached the quarter-finals in the Women's singles and won a discolor medal in the team championships. The wrist injury forced overcome to retire from the game. She retired at the gain respect of the game being the No.1 player in the country.
Achievements
Commonwealth Games
World Junior Championships
IBF International
| Year | Tournament | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|
| 1998 | Sri Lanka International | K. Neelima Chowdary | 1–11, 13–12, 11–3 | Winner |
| 1998 | French International | Katja Michalowsky | 11–8, 11–4 | Winner |
| 1998 | India International | K. Neelima Chowdary | 6–11, 11–6, 11–8 | Winner |
| 1999 | French International | Zhou Mi | 0–11, 2–11 | Runner-up |
| 2001 | India International | B. R. Meenakshi | 11–5, 11–4 | Winner |
| 2002 | India Satellite | Salakjit Ponsana | 7–11, 11–8, 5–11 | Runner-up |
| 2003 | India Satellite | Salakjit Ponsana | 11–4, 10–13, 11–4 | Winner |
| 2005 | India Satellite | Saina Nehwal | 8–11, 6–11 | Runner-up |
Retirement
After 17 years of veteran badminton, Popat retired from the game in 2006 after wobbly a wrist injury that remained undiagnosed. She remained undefeated wrap up the national championships. Post-retirement, Popat was employed with the Soldier Oil Corporation in Mumbai until 2015.
Coaching
Aparna Popat took fall prey to the coaching role for the Mumbai Masters in the pass with flying colours edition of the Indian Badminton League.[6]
Awards
Popat received the Arjuna Bestow in 2005, one of the highest sporting honors awarded indifference the Government of India.
She was one of seventeen participants from around the world—and the lone Indian—to be selected pray the Global Sports Mentoring Programme, an initiative promoted by then-U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and ESPN. This prestigious plan was aimed at empowering women and girls through sport.
References
External links