Jalandhar: At the age of 64, Ram Lakhan won his 22nd national badminton title.

Jalandhar: He may have retired from his government job, but he continues to be a force to be reckoned with as a seasoned badminton icon. At 64 years old, Ram Lakhan has won his 22nd consecutive gold medal at the All-India Masters Ranking Badminton Tournament. This time, he competed in the 60-plus category at the tournament held in Agra. The champion said, “I retired from my job as a foreman at PSPCL in 2017. But I have no plans to retire from the game. As long as I am fit enough to play, the game will continue. I maintain my routine of practicing daily at Hansraj Stadium.” Ram Lakhan says, “When I was in school, I didn’t know anything about this game. My father was a Class IV employee at the SDM Nakodar office and was later transferred to Nawanshahr. I used to see the officers playing this game and always thought it was a game for the rich. Finally, when I was 15 years old, I picked up a racket.
I didn’t receive any coaching from anyone and learned everything on my own. I quickly mastered it and won national medals in the game. Because of my sporting achievements, I got a job at PSPCL. I used to play in the tournaments held within the department and won trophies every time.” Ram Lakhan became a world champion at the age of 42. “It was in 2004 when I won gold at the World Badminton Championships held in Malaysia. Since then, I haven’t looked back. Since then, I have played in all the national and many international events. In 2018, I won silver at the Asia Pacific Masters Games. In 2023, I won bronze at the All England Open Badminton Championships. Since my son is settled in New Zealand, I have also played there and won two gold medals. In 2024, I won two gold medals at the Ceylon Masters Badminton Tournament held in Colombo, Sri Lanka.” This experienced champion also plays doubles and mixed doubles with partners from other states. Ram Lakhan says, “My only regret in life is that I haven’t been able to coach the younger generation. I don’t have the resources to open my own private academy, but I want to train the next generation in this sport. Therefore, I am still looking for an opportunity at the government level.”