“People anyway didn't take me seriously because of the way I look. And for some reason, there's this Indian perception that sportspersons should look wanting, they should look like they've put up a real struggle.”

Indian badminton player

Jwala Gutta is an Indian badminton player who began representing India in international competition in the late 1990s. She competed in both mixed and women’s doubles, and remains known for her results on the world stage. Gutta has 316 match wins across those two disciplines, the most by any Indian player, and reached a career-high ranking of No. 6 in the world. On the BWF circuit, she won medals at several events, including silver at the 2009 Superseries Masters Finals and bronze at the 2011 World Championships.