Badminton family; Kiran's goal is world championship

KOCHI: World Championship and Olympic gold...this is the ace of Kiran George who made badminton a family sport. The achievement of Kiran from Kochi who won the Indonesian Masters Super 100 title is not only a matter of pride for the Malayalis but also for all Indians. Kiran won the singles title by defeating Japan's Koo Takahashi in the tournament held in Jakarta. 23-year-old Kiran is ranked 50th in the world badminton rankings.

Kiran belongs to a badminton family. His father George Thomas, wife Preeta George and brother Arun George are badminton players. George Thomas, general manager of Bharat Petroleum Corporation, is a former national champion in badminton, an Arjuna awardee and a former member of the District Sports Council. He was also a member of the Indian team that won the silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in 1998.

George Thomas told Kerala Kaumudi that Kiran's goal is to become a world champion. Kiran is preparing for the competition in Hong Kong and Olympics. Kiran said that the victory in Jakarta has boosted his confidence.

Kiran's love for badminton started at the age of nine. Early training was at the Regional Sports Center in Kochi. He has won state championships at sub-junior, junior and senior levels. He won the Super 100 Championship in Odisha in January 2022. His coach is Vimal Kumar who was a Malayali and a national player.