Padma Bhushan and Dronacharya award recipient Pullela Gopichand on Monday said discipline and hard work never deserted anyone in their pursuit towards excellence and glory.
Speaking after receiving the vocational excellence award from Rotary Club of Midtown, the star shuttler said all the glory and status he received from badminton was because of hard work.
“I never thought I would come this distance and emerge as a star in badminton. But I kept increasing the bar as I achieved success at every stage. I faced competitors at every curve, that is the essence of life,” he told the youngsters who attended the meeting. Mr. Gopichand said he had a special connection with Vijayawada as it was at the DRRMC Indoor Stadium here that he won a State championship which infused him to think big. .
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