Indian badminton player RMV Gurusaidutt announces retirement

Commonwealth Games bronze medallist RMV Gurusaidutt, who has been battling injuries for the last few years, announced his retirement from professional badminton on Monday.

Born on March 1, 1990, in Bheemavaram, Andhra Pradesh, RMV Gurusaidutt took up the sport after watching All England Open winner Pullela Gopichand play at a local badminton court.

Gurusaidutt’s first major breakthrough on the international stage came in 2008. He won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Youth Games, a bronze medal at the World Junior Championships, and the seniors Bahrain International title - all in the same year.

Gurusaidutt made the finals of the Indian Grand Prix Gold in 2010 and won the India International Challenge two years later. The Indian badminton player reached his career-best ranking of 19 in November 2013.

Gurusaidutt’s biggest achievement, however, came in 2014 when he won the bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

RMV Gurusaidutt has struggled with injuries since, which severely hindered his performance. Consequently, Gurusaidutt’s rankings dropped over the years.

“It is with teary eyes that I type this to share with you all the news that I am retiring from the sport I love the most!” RMV Gurusaidutt wrote on his social media post. 

“I have played this sport for over two decades with utmost discipline and to the best of my abilities each time I got on the court. It has been an honour to represent the country.”

The 32-year-old RMV Gurusaidutt also noted that he will now dedicate his time to coaching India’s future badminton players.

“I am glad to still remain with the sport and begin the next phase of my career in coaching as a part of the national team,” he said.

RMV Gurusaidutt’s last match on the BWF Tour was at the Odisha Open 2022 in January, where he lost to Kaushal Dharmamer in the round of 32.