Prakash Padukone is the first Indian badminton player to win a medal at World Badminton Championship. He is a former badminton player from Karnataka who won numerous laurels for India in the field of badminton. In 1978, he won his first major international title, the men's singles gold medal at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Canada and became the first Indian badminton player to win a medal at World Badminton Championship. He was awarded the Arjuna award in 1972 and the Padma Shri in 1982 by the government of India.