Top five biggest achievements of Kidambi Srikanth's career

The shuttler is only the third male badminton player ever to win a medal at the World Championships.

Kidambi Srikanth scripted history at the recent BWF World Championships in Huelva, Spain. The 28-year-old is one of the best men's singles stars of India. He is regarded as a powerhouse in Asian badminton and represents India at all the major international events.

His recent achievements at the World Championships are symbolic of the player’s talent. Srikanth is an extremely hardworking player who is tough to beat, no matter what circumstances. From performing brilliantly at multi-sports meets, dominating the Asian circuit, to winning multiple BWF Super Series titles, Srikanth has been very successful while representing India.

Keeping the focus on Kidambi Srikanth and his performances, here are his five biggest achievements yet:

5. Three golds at South Asian Games

The South Asian Games are a quadrennial multi-sport event that includes nations from the South Asian region. Countries like India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Maldives, Bhutan, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka participate in the Games. One of the sports that is part of the program is badminton and Kidambi Srikanth has an impressive track record in it.

He has won gold on three occasions at the South Asian Games. The first came in 2016 in the men’s singles category. The second gold was also won in 2016 in the men’s team event. The third gold came at the 2019 edition in the same event. 

4. National Awardee

Kidambi Srikanth’s dedication and commitment to badminton are fairly recognized. He has won two national awards for his overall contribution and achieving success on the international stage, bringing pride to the nation. Srikanth received the Arjuna Award back in 2015 for extraordinary achievement in the field of sports.

However, a bigger moment of pride for the shuttler came in 2018, the same year he became the World No. 1 ranked player. He received the Padma Shri award, the fourth-highest civilian award given to an Indian citizen. 

3. Two medals at Commonwealth Games 2018

Kidambi Srikanth is a major figure on the international circuit and his performance at the Commonwealth Games is evidence. The shuttler has won two medals at the Commonwealth Games, both at the same edition. He won gold in the mixed team at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia.

Furthermore, he secured an impressive silver in the men’s singles. Srikanth lost to legendary Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia in the final, but his overall performance at the event was very impressive.   

2. Becoming World No. 1

Becoming the best player in an individual sport is the dream for every athlete. For badminton players, reaching the BWF World No. 1 rank is the ultimate dream and only a few go on to realize it. Kidambi Srikanth became only the second Indian male shuttler to become World No. 1 ranked player, after Prakash Padukone. He achieved this feat in April 2018. 

Saina Nehwal was the only other Indian to become World No. 1 before him and reaching the height remains one of the biggest highlights of Srikanth’s career. He replaced Viktor Axelsen of Denmark at the top rank. Currently, Srikanth sits at No. 10 in the BWF men's singles rankings. 

1. Silver medal at BWF World Championships

BWF World Championships are a very prestigious badminton tournament, which involves the best players from across the globe. Achieving any sort of success in the competition requires exceptional performance and determination. During the recently concluded 2021 edition, Kidambi Srikanth managed to bag the silver medal in the men’s singles. 

By doing so, Srikanth became the first Indian male shuttler to reach the final and also the first to win a silver at the BWF World Championships. Only P.V Sindhu has done better, winning the gold, but Srikanth will certainly use this as inspiration and aim to go one step better next year. 

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