Sanjay Sharma represented India in badminton, and also served as coach for the national badminton squad. He is now a commentator on the game and a writer. Sanjay penned The World Beneath His Feet, the critically acclaimed biography of Pullela Gopi Chand, the iconic shuttler. Medini Sharma, a former tennis international and sports producer on television, now works as senior producer with STAR Sports. First published by Rupa Publications India Pvt. Ltd 2014 7/16, Ansari Road, Daryaganj New Delhi 110002 Copyright © Sanjay Sharma and Medini Sharma 2014 Foreword copyright © Prakash Padukone All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in a retrieval system, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. ISBN: 978-81-291-3119-5 First impression 2014 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated, without the publisher’s prior consent, in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published. Contents Foreword Preface Rajeev Bagga Magician on the Badminton Court Satya Prakash Tewari The Lion Hearted Nir Bahadur Gurung The Quintessential Street Fighter Murlikant Petkar Hero Extraordinaire