SMASH! The Rise of Indian Badminton

Book excerpt: Badminton has become a popular sport in India thanks to Prakash Padukone, Pullela Gopichand, Saina Nehwal, P V Sindhu, Jwala Gutta, Ashwini Ponnappa, Kidambi Srikanth, and a few others. Each of them has a riveting story. The author has tried to weave all their stories into a fascinating canvas. This book is about how Indian badminton emerged as a global powerhouse in over a decade; what’s gone into the making of several world champions; who all played pivotal roles, and much more. It also reflects on the current shortcomings that could slow down the rise of the sport and how they could be addressed. Anyone keen on learning the secrets of peak performance from Indian champions and their coaches; how to bounce back stronger from setbacks; how and how not to lead a team, will find this book appealing. I hope people learn a lot about the history of Indian badminton from this book, Jwala Gutta, Indian Doubles Champion