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Sikki Reddy: The Doubles Specialist

By: Srishty Sharon
Date: 18 Aug, 2018
Image Courtesy: Badminton Photo

Nelakurihi Sikki Reddy is one of the most popular Indian badminton Doubles specialists. Her excellency in the sport has granted her recognition across the globe. This doubles shuttler is truly a fighter and a champion in her own way. She has won many laurels for the nation and is still hustling to bring more prestige and honour to the country. She is among the most dauntless shuttlers of India.


Background & Early Career


The fighter girl, N Sikki Reddy was born on 18th August 1993 to Krishna Reddy and Madhavi Reddy. Her parents had always been there to help her in achieving her dreams. Her family was based at the Warangal district of the then Andhra Pradesh.


She had a deep interest in the sport of badminton from the starting, and so her parents Krishna and Madhavi decided to shift from their base i.e. Warangal to the city of dreams Hyderabad. Sikki completed her higher studies in the field of B.Com, from the St. Ann’s Degree College, Hyderabad. Since the age of 18, she used to play badminton and she has received a lot of knowledge about the sport from her SAAP consolidated coach Goverdhan Reddy.


Soon, the doubles specialist joined the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy, and never looked back.

 

A True Fighter


N Sikki Reddy joined the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy as a Singles player. In November 2009, she had gone through a serious injury due to which a ligament in her knee was torn. This injury forced the brilliant shuttler to leave her dreams to become a single’s shuttler for the Team India. However, the girl with the heart of Gold had to fight and she did.


She stayed away from the court for a long duration of 13 months. She went through ample surgeries and rehabilitation in these 13 months. Her voyage of glory was not an easy feat.


She went through four knee surgeries and her badminton career as a singles player ended. However, her spirit of fighting the odds is incredible. With her never-say-die attitude, she made a strong comeback in the Indian team by picking up doubles.

 

Career Achievements


Women's Doubles


The genesis of Sikki’s bright career took place in 2009, where she won silver at the Smiling Fish International, held at Thailand.


In 2011 Bahrain International, Sikki again won the silver medal and in 2012, she won her third consecutive silver at the Tata Open India International.


In 2013, the shuttler conquered the title and won the Gold at the Tata Open Indian International. After this, Sikki has won four consecutive Gold medals along with her partners at the Uganda International, Polish Open and Lagos International.


Again in 2015, she clinched the silver at the Tata Open India International and the same medal at the 2016 Welsh International. In 2016, she also won silver at the South Asian Games held at Guwahati, India.


The year of 2017 has been good to the Hyderabadi shuttler. She won silver at the Syed Modi International, the same year.


In 2018 Sikki won a bronze for the Commonwealth Games held at the Gold Coast, Australia.


Mixed Doubles


In 2013, she won a silver at the Bahrain International, along with her partner, V. Diju. In the same year, she also won another silver medal at the Bahrain International Challenge.


In 2014, she won Gold at the Tata Open India International along with Manu Attri.


The year 2015 was quite great for Sikki, as she won gold at the Uganda International with Tarun Kona and the duo also won silver, the same year at the Lagos International.


At the 2016 South Asian Games held at Guwahati, India, Sikki Reddy won the title and clinched a Gold medal.


In the same year, Sikki Reddy also won Gold at the Brazil Open and Russian Open. She collected silver at the Scottish Open.


Later in 2017, Sikki grabbed Gold at the Syed Modi International.


Others


She made a great transition from the junior to the senior team and has been the national champion for three times in the junior singles category. If she never had a major ligament injury, she would definitely be representing the nation as a Singles player.


Partners


N Sikki has been consistently partnered with Ashwini Ponnappa and Pranaav Jerry Chopra. She has played with many other doubles and mixed doubles shuttlers to achieve different titles.


Inspiration and Motivation


For the doubles specialist, her coach Pullela Gopichand is the greatest inspiration. She was so much inspired by him when he made a strong comeback and won the All England Open after recovering from a surgery.


She also thinks that her parents are the greatest encouragement and motivation behind her career.


Awards and Recognition


In April 2018, V. Chamundeswaranath, vice-president of the Badminton Association of Telangana rewarded N Sikki Reddy with a Ford Ecosport car for her extremely impeccable performance over the past five years. The car was bestowed to the doubles shuttler after her amazing comeback from the Commonwealth Games, Australia.


N Sikki Reddy was also recommended for the Arjuna Award by the Badminton Association of India.


She is definitely a badminton star, who knows how to face the odds and never back down in misery.  She did not let the negativity to become a hurdle in her way to make the nation proud and to pursue her dreams. She has been playing wonderfully and making the nation proud. Her determination is very inspiring, and it proves that she is one of a kind player.


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