Prakash Padukone recovering from Covid in hospital

Badminton great Prakash Padukone is recovering in a Bengaluru hospital following treatment for Covid-19 and is likely to be discharged soon, an official at his academy said on Tuesday.

Members in the Padukone family developed Covid symptoms last week after which they got tested, returning positive results. Padukone’s wife Ujjala and daughter Anisha were recuperating but Padukone was admitted in hospital as his fever did not subside.

“Prakash sir is doing absolutely fine,” a top official of the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy (PPBA) said on condition of anonymity from Bengaluru. “He was admitted on Saturday as a precautionary measure. His oxygen level and other parameters are absolutely fine. There is no reason to worry. He should be discharged in a day or two.”

Ujjala and Anisha are recovering at home. “They are in home isolation and are doing fine,” the official said.

Padukone, 65, became the first Indian to win the prestigious All England Open in 1980. He also reached the final the following year. A former world No.1 known for his touch game, he also was the first Indian to medal at the world championships, claiming bronze at Copenhagen in 1983.