Parents, relatives hail Srikanth's triumph

Guntur : Parents of Kidambi Srikanth, who won the Thailand Open shuttle badminton singles title on Sunday and people of the district expressed joy over his unprecedented success. His parents Krishna and Radhamukunda are virtually on cloud nine after seeing their younger son's victory on HMTV on Sunday.

Their house here was packed with friends of Srikanth, local residents and relatives, who warmly greeted Krishna and Radhamukunda and exchanged pleasantries hailing his achievement. They said it was a matter of pride not only for the district, but also the State.

"It is an unforgettable day when he brought credit to the country by displaying high quality game," they felt. Radhamukunda hoped that their son would emerge victorious in next Olympics too. Srikanth, who showed interest in sports right from his childhood, followed in the footsteps of Krishna, who himself was a sports lover.

They used to practice in Guntur stadium. The youth who studied the fourth and fifth classes here bagged many prizes at the district level. After getting selected by the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP), he continued studies and completed SSC and Inter in Khammam. He participated in several junior-level tournaments besides in the nationals. Since four years he has been under training in Pullela Gopichand Academy, Hyderabad.