N Sikki Reddy recommended for Arjuna Award by BAI

Women’s doubles shuttler N Sikki Reddy has been recommended for Arjuna Award by the Badminton Association of India (BAI).

G Sudhakar Reddy, who coached Kidambi Srikanth in his early days, has been recommended for Dronacharya Award, according to BAI.

“We have recommended Sikki and coach Sudhakar Reddy for Arjuna and Dronacharya this year. Sikki has regularly won awards for India, while Sudhakar has been coaching many Indian shuttlers, including K Srikanth. I hope they receive the awards,” BAI general secretary Ajay Singhania told PTI.

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The 24-year-old Sikki had won the mixed team gold medal and the women’s doubles bronze at the recent Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast.

Last year, BAI had also recommended Sikki Reddy and men’s doubles player B Sumeeth Reddy for Arjuna awards.

Sikki and her mixed doubles partner Pranaav Jerry Chopra had clinched the Syed Modi International Grand Prix Gold at Lucknow in January.

In 2016, Sikki and Pranaav, who are currently ranked 21st in BWF ranking, had won the Brazil and Russia Open Grand Prix title. They also won the gold medal at the South Asian Games.

Sikki has women’s team bronze medals in the 2014 and 2016 Uber Cup. She also won a team bronze in 2014 Asian Games. Sikki and Ashwini are currently ranked 25 in the world.

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Sudhakar, who is part of the junior panel of coaches, had trained Srikanth from 2001 after he met him at an Andhra Pradesh state under-13 championship.

Srikanth and his elder brother Nandagopal learnt the basic lessons from Sudhakar at the Andhra Pradesh government academy. Later Srikanth joined Pullela Gopichand Academy in 2009.