IOCian Srikanth Kidambi top grosser for this year
New Delhi   17-Nov-2017


Kidambi Srikanth

⇨ Ranked No.2 in the world, Srikanth has a chance of becoming No.1 in December.

⇨ Four Super Series titles helped him pocket $230,423.

⇨ Interestingly, his earnings are almost three times higher than the next highest-earning men's singles player - Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia.

Kidambi Srikanth's dream run in 2017 has helped his yearly prize money earnings sky-rocket to Rs 1.54 crore and he will end up as the top grosser among men shuttlers this year.

Srikanth has won three of the most lucrative events this year. The two top prize money events are the Indonesia Open Super Series Premier ($1 million) and next month's Dubai Super Series Finals ($1 million).

Srikanth earned $75,000 by clinching the men's singles title in Indonesia, the highest for him so far. He got $56,250 each for triumphing in Australia and Denmark. He earned $24,375 for winning the French Open and $16,597.50 for finishing runner-up in the Singapore Open.

Even if Srikanth doesn't participate or do well in the other two major tournaments this year - Hong Kong Super Series and Dubai Super Series Finals - he will still end up as the top grosser.

Such has been Srikanth's dominance this year that even the women's singles highest-earner Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei trails him with earnings of $170,475. PV Sindhu is fourth in the list with $97,925.

Coach Pullela Gopichand said that this is just the beginning of good things. "What he has achieved is fantastic. I didn't expect that a men's singles shuttler from India would one day become the highest earner. Srikanth has definitely surpassed my expectations," said Gopichand, who turned 44 on Thursday.

Srikanth felt good to top the money list. "It is really a nice feeling. But I will focus on my game and the processes involved to become a top player and leave the business side to my management firm Baseline Ventures," Srikanth told ToI.

Both Srikanth and Sindhu are managed by Baseline. The Guntur lad has also earned close to Rs 8 crore from endorsements in the last 10 to 12 months. "Srikanth has been super consistent and the No.2 rank and brand endorsements are a reflection of the hard work he puts in. He is one of the brightest hope for India to get an Olympic medal in 2020," said Tuhin Mishra, managing director of Baseline Ventures.

Srikanth is a brand ambassador for Yonex, Bank of Baroda and ITM Group of Institutions. He's set to sign another major deal with a multinational company in the next fortnight.