Why Prakash Padukone’s All England title in 1980 was the crowning moment of a glorious career Book excerpt from ‘The Gopichand Factor: The Rise and Rise of Indian Badminton’ on the history of the sport in India. Prakash Padukone during an interview with Scroll.in's Smitha Nair | Scroll.in photograph The undoubted Indian badminton superstar of the last century was Prakash Padukone. Padukone wasn’t really the first men’s badminton player from India to dominate the domestic circuit or make a mark on the international scene. But he was definitely the most successful and had an affable personality that made him the darling of the entire nation.