Prakash Padukone

Badminton player

Born: 10th June 1955, Bangalore

In 1980 Prakash was a familiar face in Bangalore. Bangalore's pride actually. He had just won the All England Open Badminton Championship, the first Indian to do so.

My mom, brother and I were at Century Club and we had just visited the library to change the library books. While walking in the main entrance corridor, this tall imposing figure was hard to miss. He must have finished his practice on the club courts and was was just walking around. I looked at him, passed him and then ran back to him. Though just ten, I remember the conversation distinctly.

"Are you Prakash, the Badminton champ?", I asked.

Not shy at being recognised, he said "Yes".

"I would like your autograph. Let me find some paper.", I said.

The receptionist at the club entrance said he had no paper to give me. My mom too had nothing with her, but the library books we had just borrowed. These books proved to be handy.

The books were usually hard-bound so that they lasted the repeated borrowing, and with internal blank sheets as a part of the binding. Though a little reluctantly, I had found my paper!

I took one of the books to Prakash and requested him to sign on the end of one of the yellow blank sheets. He asked me my name, which he heard as Bharati, but I quickly corrected him as he wrote. This whole thing of searching for a piece of paper took a few minutes, but he waited where I had stopped him till I got back.

Later I neatly folded the sheet and tore it out of the book, making sure it looked proper before returning it to the library.

After this, more often than not, I have a writing pad or notebook and pen in my bag wherever I go. You never know whom you may walk into!

18th Aug 1980, Century Club, Bangalore