| Gurusai Datt R. M. V. | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Birth name | Gurusai Datt R. M. V. |
| Born | March 1, 1990 |
| Country | India |
| Coach | Pullela Gopichand |
| Men's singles | |
| Highest Ranking | 37 (9 July 2010) |
| Current Ranking | 40[1] (15 October 2010) |
| BWF Profile | |
Gurusai Datt R. M. V. or Gurusai Datt (born 1 March 1990) is a badminton player from India. He trains at the Hyderabad's Gopichand Badminton Academy and is supported by Olympic Gold Quest, a not-for-profit foundation to identify and support Indian athletes. He won the gold medal at the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games.[2]
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Gurusai Datt took up badminton as a sport after watching Pullela Gopichand, the 2001 All England champion, play at a local stadium.[3] In 2005, he won the sub-junior national doubles title and also qualified for the sub-junior ABC Championship. This, according to him, spurred him to focus entirely on the sport. He started his training with Gopichand.[3]
In the international circuit, Gurusai Datt first appeared in the boys doubles category at the 2006 World Junior Championships. The pair of Gurusai Datt and K. Tarun progressed only until the second round.[4] The Hindu praised the enthusiastic effort and fighting quality of the pair's game play.[5] He represented India in the team event category, but failed to win his singles match against a Thailand opponent.[6] Gurusai Datt won the 2007 Andhra Pradesh Senior Badminton Championships after defeating the top seed – his first title. He played a vastly superior and controlled game and he looked the better player.[7]
Gurusai Datt won the bronze medal at the 2008 BWF World Junior Championships that was held in Pune.[8] While he was India's National Junior Champion, Gurusai Datt won the 2008 Dutch Junior International that was held in Haarlem. He became the first Indian to win this title. This win was seen as a good sign for India's chances at the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games.[9]
Carrying his form into the upcoming tournaments, Gurusai Datt won the singles title at the Commonwealth Youth Games and Bahrain International Challenge badminton championship by the end of 2008.[2][10] In 2009, he reached the quarterfinals of the 2009 Denmark Super Series.[11][12] At the 2010 Yonex Sunrise India Open Badminton Championships, Gurusai Datt created an upset in the quarterfinal by defeating former All England Champion, Muhammad Hafiz Hashim. Both Hashim and the media reports praised him for his game play.[13] In the same year, Gurusai Datt represented India at the South Asian Games. He not only won the silver medal in the singles event but also the gold medal in the team event category.[14]