Wish Pullela Gopichand

Sunday, March 11 was a red letter day for Indian sport. Pullela Gopichand won the men's singles title at the All-England badminton championships, in Birmingham. It was the first Indian victory in the tournament since Prakash Padukone won the title in 1980.

Unlike many Indians who have been on the threshold of history and failed to get there, the 27-year-old from Andhra Pradesh who trains at the Prakash Padukone academy in Bangalore, seized the moment and embraced it as he went on to beat Olympic champion Ji Xinpeng and world No.1 Peter Gade Christensen before outplaying China's Chen Hong 15-12, 15-6 in the final.

The tragedy of Indian sport, though, has been that not many of us even notice achievement in a field other than cricket. Perhaps it is time to redress that. Perhaps it is time to voice, loud and clear, our pride in Gopi, and his achievement.

So say it loud, and say it clear. We will ensure that Gopi gets your message.