Prakash Vijayanath
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2018}}
{{Use South African English|date=October 2018}}
{{Infobox badminton player
| name = Prakash Vijayanath
| image =
| size =
| caption =
| nickname =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1994|11|7}}
| birth_place = Madurai, India{{cite web|title=Prakash Vijayanath Biography |url=http://results.glasgow2014.com/athlete/badminton/1000308/p_vijayanath.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140730090502/http://results.glasgow2014.com/athlete/badminton/1000308/p_vijayanath.html |url-status=usurped |archive-date=30 July 2014 |website=results.glasgow2014.com |publisher=Glasgow 2014|accessdate=11 October 2016}}
| residence = Dublin, Ireland
| height = 1.80 m
| weight = 73 kg
| country = {{RSA}}
| years_active =
| handedness =
| coach =
| event = Men's singles & doubles
| highest_ranking = 137 (MS 26 November 2015)
409 (MD 15 June 2017)
243 (XD 17 May 2012)
| date_of_highest_ranking =
| current_ranking =
| date_of_current_ranking =
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalSport |Men's badminton}}
{{MedalCountry|{{RSA}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|All-Africa Games}}
{{MedalSilver|2015 Brazzaville|Men's singles}}
{{MedalSilver|2015 Brazzaville|Mixed team}}
{{MedalCompetition|African Championships}}
{{MedalGold|2013 Rose Hill|Mixed team}}
{{MedalSilver|2013 Rose Hill|Men's singles}}
{{MedalCompetition|Africa Team Championships}}
{{MedalGold|2016 Rose Hill|Men's team}}
| bwfbadminton_id = 81606
| bwf_id = EB95D685-50B2-46CD-AD9B-D220E0C89458
}}
Prakash Vijayanath (born 7 November 1994) is a South African badminton player.{{cite web|title=Players: Prakash Vijayanath |url=http://bwfbadminton.com/player/81606/prakash-vijayanath |website=bwfbadminton.com |publisher=Badminton World Federation|accessdate=11 October 2016}}{{cite web|title=Prakash Vijayanath Full Profile |url=http://bwf.tournamentsoftware.com/profile/biography.aspx?id=EB95D685-50B2-46CD-AD9B-D220E0C89458 |website=bwf.tournamentsoftware.com |publisher=Badminton World Federation|accessdate=11 October 2016}}
Career
Vijayanath was born in India but moved to South Africa when he was four, and started playing badminton at age six in Johannesburg.{{cite news|title=Indian-origin Prakash Vijaynath nominated for BWF Athletes' Commission |url=http://zeenews.india.com/sports/sports/badminton/indian-origin-prakash-vijaynath-nominated-for-bwf-athletes-commission_1584272.html |website=zeenews.india.com |publisher=Zee Media Corporation Ltd|accessdate=18 October 2016}}
In 2013, he was selected among the 14 best African players to be a member of the Road to Rio Project organised by the BWF and Badminton Confederation of Africa, to provide financial and technical support to African players and the lead-up to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.{{cite news |title=Road to Rio |url=http://www.africa-badminton.com/A%20NEWSLETTERSARCHIVES/nl201309.htm |website=www.africa-badminton.com |publisher=Badminton Confederation of Africa |accessdate=18 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190301074748/http://www.africa-badminton.com/A%20NEWSLETTERSARCHIVES/nl201309.htm |archive-date=1 March 2019 |url-status=dead }} He received a Sport Scholarship, supported by Trinity's Global Relations Office studying Computer Science and Business in Trinity College, Dublin. Alongside his studies, he trained at the Badminton Ireland Academy with the Irish high performance squad based at Marino under the guidance of coach Daniel Magee.{{cite news|title=South African Student Receives International Sports Scholarship |url=https://www.tcd.ie/globalrelations/news/20150202SportsSchol.php |website=www.tcd.ie |publisher=Trinity College, Dublin|accessdate=18 October 2016}}{{cite news|title=Badminton Ireland Academy offers training package |url=http://www.badmintoneurope.com/cms/default.aspx?clubid=4685&cmsid=239&pageid=5381&m=646812 |website=www.badmintoneurope.com |publisher=Badminton Europe|accessdate=18 October 2016}}{{cite news|title=Leaping towards Rio 2016 |url=http://trinitynews.ie/leaping-towards-rio-2016/ |website=trinitynews.ie |publisher=Trinity News|accessdate=18 October 2016}} In August 2013, he won the mixed team gold medal and the men's singles silver medal at the African Badminton Championships.{{cite news|title=African Champs - Mauritius medals but titles go west |url=http://www.badzine.net/2013/08/african-champs-mauritius-medals-but-titles-go-west/ |website=www.badzine.net |publisher=Badzine.net|accessdate=18 October 2016}} In December 2013, he was the semi-finalist at the South Africa International tournament.
In 2014, he was selected to represent South Africa badminton at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.{{cite news|title=Team South Africa for Commonwealth Games announced |url=http://www.thesouthafrican.com/team-south-africa-for-commonwealth-games-announced/ |website=www.thesouthafrican.com|accessdate=18 October 2016}} He became the runner-up of South Africa International in mixed doubles event with his partner Stacey Doubell and the semi-finalist of Zambia International tournament in men's singles event.{{cite web|title=South Africa International 2014 |url=http://bwfbadminton.com/results/1537/south-africa-international-2014/podium |website=bwfbadminton.com |publisher=Badminton World Federation|accessdate=18 October 2016}}{{cite web|title=Zambia International 2014 |url=http://bwfbadminton.com/results/49/zambia-international-2014/podium |website=bwfbadminton.com |publisher=Badminton World Federation|accessdate=18 October 2016}}
In 2015, he was nominated for the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Athletes' Commission, to be a bridge between Africa and the global badminton community. "For the success of the BWF Athletes' Commission it is essential to have global representation. African badminton has come a long way and to keep this momentum going it is important to have the support from the global community" he said.{{cite news|title=Nominees Athlete's Commission Elections 2015 |url=http://bwfbadminton.org/file.aspx?id=633110&dl=1 |website=bwfbadminton.org|publisher=Badminton World Federation|accessdate=18 October 2016}} In February, he became the semi-finalist of Uganda International, and in August–September, he won silver medals in men's singles and mixed team events at the African Games.{{cite web|title=Uganda International 2015 |url=http://bwfbadminton.com/results/2223/uganda-international-2015/podium |website=bwfbadminton.com |publisher=Badminton World Federation|accessdate=18 October 2016}}{{cite news|title=Uganda's Ekiring wins bronze medal at All Africa Games |url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2015-09/10/c_134608037.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151124172325/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2015-09/10/c_134608037.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=24 November 2015 |website=news.xinhuanet.com |publisher= Xinhua|accessdate=18 October 2016}}
In 2018, he made his second appearance at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast.{{cite web|title=Participants: Prakash Vijayanath |url=https://results.gc2018.com/en/badminton/athlete-profile-n6006507-prakash-vijayanath.htm |website=gc2018.com |publisher=Gold Coast 2018 |accessdate=13 April 2018}}
Achievements
=All-Africa Games=
Men's singles
| class="sortable wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;"
!|Year !|Venue !|Opponent !|Score !|Result |
| style="background:#FFB069"
|align="center"|2015 |align="left"|Gymnase Étienne Mongha, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo |align="left"|{{flagicon|RSA}} Jacob Maliekal |align="left"|17–21, 17–21 |style="text-align:left; background:white"|Silver Silver |
= African Championships=
Men's singles
| class="sortable wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;" |
| |Year
! |Venue ! |Opponent ! |Score ! |Result |
|---|
| style="background:#ECF2FF"
| style="text-align:center;"|2013 | style="text-align:left;"|National Badminton Centre, Rose Hill, {{flagicon|MRI}} Mauritius | style="text-align:left;"|{{flagicon|RSA}} Jacob Maliekal | style="text-align:left;"|13–21, 12–21 | style="text-align:left; background:white"|Silver Silver |
=BWF International Challenge/Series=
Men's doubles
| class="sortable wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;"
!|Year !|Tournament !|Partner !|Opponent !|Score !|Result |
| style="background:#D5D5D5"
|align="center"|2016 |align="left"|South Africa International |align="left"|{{flagicon|RSA}} Matthew Michel |align="left"|{{flagicon|EGY}} Abdelrahman Abdelhakim |align="left"|16–21, 20–22 |style="text-align:left; background:white"|{{silver2}} Runner-up |
Mixed Doubles
| class="sortable wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;" |
| |Year
!|Tournament !|Partner !|Opponent !|Score !|Result |
|---|
| style="background:#D8CEF6"
| style="text-align:center;"|2014 |align="left"|South Africa International |align="left"|{{flagicon|RSA}} Stacey Doubell |align="left"|{{flagicon|RSA}} Cameron Coetzer |align="left"|23–25, 21–19, 15–21 |style="text-align:left; background:white"|{{gold1}} Winner |
:{{Color box|#D8CEF6|border=darkgray}} BWF International Challenge tournament
:{{Color box|#D5D5D5|border=darkgray}} BWF International Series tournament
:{{Color box|#E9E9E9|border=darkgray}} BWF Future Series tournament
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{BWF|EB95D685-50B2-46CD-AD9B-D220E0C89458}}
- {{BWF2}}
- {{CGF profile}}
- {{2014 Commonwealth Games profile|badminton/1000308/p_vijayanath}}
- {{2018 Commonwealth Games profile|badminton/athlete-profile-n6006507-prakash-vijayanath}}
- [https://www.forbesafrica.com/sport/2017/08/03/wanting-make-racquet-olympics/ Prakash Vijayanath - Forbes Africa]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vijayanath, Prakash}}
Category:Sportspeople from Madurai
Category:Indian emigrants to South Africa
Category:South African male badminton players
Category:Badminton players at the 2014 Commonwealth Games
Category:Badminton players at the 2018 Commonwealth Games
Category:Commonwealth Games competitors for South Africa
Category:Competitors at the 2015 African Games
Category:African Games silver medalists for South Africa