XtraTime Web Desk: Twenty Five year-old Kidambi Srikanth finally became the world number 1 on Thursday after his triumphant performance at the Gold Coast this month as he writes another moment in the history books for India.
Indian badminton star Kidambi Srikanth on Thursday became world No. 1 in the Badminton World Federation (BWF) rankings, replacing Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen. Srikanth moved to the top of rankings with 76,895 points in men’s singles category to displace current world champion Axelsen, who lost at least 1,660 points because he could not defend his Malaysian Open title. The Malaysian Open was held from April 4-9 last year but has now been moved to June 26 to July 1 on account of the ongoing Commonwealth Games. The 25-year-old Srikanth bagged the mixed team gold in the ongoing Gold Coast Games and continues to feature in the men’s singles format in that event. Srikanth becomes only the second Indian after Saina Nehwal, who achieved the feat in 2015, to top the rankings and the first Indian male to do so.
Srikanth, who burst onto the scene with victory in the Thailand Open in 2013, secured the World No. 2 ranking in November last year but missed out on the chance to claim the top spot after suffering an injury.
The Indian shuttler won four Super Series titles – Indonesia, Australia, Denmark, and France — last year, becoming only the fourth in the world to achieve the feat.
This is surely a proud moment for the country as this is the first time an Indian has been ranked number one. Mention should be made to Gopichand Training Institute for keeping on providing world class Indian athletes in the field of badminton that have won titles time and again.