Jwala Gutta

Jwala Gutta
Gutta in 2011
Personal information
Country	India
Born	(1983-09-07)7 September 1983 Wardha,Maharashtra,India
Residence	Hyderabad,Telangana,India
Height	1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight	75 kg (165 lb)
Years active	1999–2017
Handedness	Left
Mixed Doubles/ Women's Doubles
Highest ranking	6 (XD August 2010) 10 (WD August 2015)
Medal record Women'sbadminton RepresentingIndia World Championships 2011 London Women's doubles Uber Cup 2014 New Delhi Women's team 2016 Kunshan Women's team Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi Women's doubles 2010 Delhi Mixed team 2014 Glasgow Women's doubles 2006 Melbourne Mixed team Asian Championships 2014 Gimcheon Women's doubles South Asian Games 2004 Islamabad Women's doubles 2004 Islamabad Mixed doubles 2004 Islamabad Women's team 2006 Colombo Women's doubles 2006 Colombo Mixed doubles 2006 Colombo Women's team 2016 Guwahati-Shillong Women's doubles 2016 Guwahati-Shillong Women's team
BWF profile

Jwala Gutta(born 7 September 1983) is an Indianbadmintonplayer. Beginning in the late 1990s, she represented India at international events in both mixed and women's doubles. She has a total of 316 match wins in both the disciplines—the most by any Indian—and peaked at no. 6 in theworld rankings.Gutta has won medals at numerous tournaments on theBWF circuitincluding a silver at the2009 Superseries Masters Finalsand a bronze at the2011 World Championships.

Born inWardhato a Chinese mother and aTelugufather, she began playing badminton at a young age. A fourteen-timeNational Champion,Gutta played withShruti Kurienearlier in her career, but found greater international success withAshwini Ponnappa.The pair consistently figured among the top-twenty in theBWF World Rankingreaching as high as no. 10 in 2015. Gutta is the first badminton player of Indian origin to qualify for two events in theOlympics–women's doubles with Ponnappa and mixed doubles withV. DijuatLondon.Gutta is known for her skilled left-handed stroke-play and is one of the very few doubles players to use a forehand service.

Gutta has won numerous medals forIndian badmintonincluding the bronze medal2011 BWF World Championshipsin London and a gold and silver at 2010 and 2014Commonwealth Gamesrespectively in the women's doubles event which were the first for the country in the discipline. Other achievements include the historic bronze medal at the2014 Thomas & Uber Cupheld atNew Delhi,a bronze medal atBadminton Asia Championshipsin the same year and final and semi-final appearances in many big international events most notably the finals appearance at the2009 BWF Super Series Masters Finals,alongside Diju which was the first for the country in any discipline.

Gutta has been credited to have brought recognition for doubles badminton in India, first with her mixed doubles partner Diju with whom she peaked at no. 6 in 2010 becoming the first doubles partnership from the country to be ranked amongst the top-10 and later with her partnership with Ponnappa in women's doubles. She paired with Ponappa at the Rio 2016 Olympics where the pair crashed out in the group stage with two consecutive losses at the hands of opponents from Japan and Netherlands.Gutta has won medals at all major international badminton tournaments and multi-sport events, except for theOlympics.

In addition to her badminton career, Gutta has been vociferous for the issues she advocates for, ranging from fair treatment in sports, health and education, women's empowerment and gender equality.

She has been listed several times among the top most inspiring sportswomen of India. She was awarded theArjuna Award,India's second highest sporting award for her achievements. Gutta was married to badminton playerChetan Anandfrom 2005 to 2011. She toldESPNthat she was contemplating retirement, after entering negotiations for a coaching role for BAI in May 2017.

Early life and junior career

Jwala Gutta was born on 7 September 1983 inWardha,Maharashtraand brought up inHyderabad,Telangana,to aChinesemother and aTelugufather. Jwala's father, Kranti Gutta, hailed from a family ofLeftistsfrom Peddapuliveru inAndhra Pradesh'sGunturdistrict.Her mother, Yelan Gutta, was born inChinaand is a granddaughter of aGandhiannamed Zeng. Yelan first came to India in 1977 with her grandfather to visit theSevagramashram, where she translated Gandhi's autobiography and other works into theChinese language.Gutta has a younger sister, Insi Gutta.

Initially inclined towards playing tennis, Gutta shifted to badminton at the insistence of her mother.She was introduced to the national badminton coachS. M. Arif,by her father at the age of four. Arif recommended her to learn gymnastics or swimming for a couple of years before starting training for badminton.Gutta later started training under Arif, at theLal Bahadur Shastri Stadium.

Gutta started playing badminton at the age of six. Her chief achievement as a youngster was to win the Under-13 Girls Mini National Badminton Championship held at Thrissur, Kerala. In 2000, Gutta (aged 17) won the Junior National Badminton Championship. The same year, she also won the Women's Doubles Junior National Championship and the Senior National Badminton Championship, both in partnership with Shruti Kurien. This association was to last several years, and the pairing of Gutta and Shruti Kurien won the Women's Doubles National title for seven years in succession, from 2002 to 2008.

Playing style

Gutta likes playing aggressive badminton and has a great affinity for the front court, with her skilled netplay, good anticipation and the ability to play deceptive strokes at the net.She is considered very dangerous in the front court with her good reading of the game and sharp interceptions. She also has a strong smash from the back court and often makes use of deceptive drops.Gutta is vulnerable in a few areas of her game, most evidently in her movement across the court. She can commit certain unforced errors when forced to move out of her favoured positions. She has also had some fitness issues and injury troubles in her long career.Gutta is also known for being one of the only top doubles player to still use the forehand service, since most other doubles specialists opt for the safer backhand serve. She stands unique in this aspect.

Performance in women's doubles

Early years: 2002–09

Gutta partneredShruti Kurien-Kanetkarduring the early part of her career for the women's doubles competition. The duo reached the semi-final round of their second international tournament itself, the India Asia Satellite tournament 2002. They also reached the semi-final round of the same tournament in the year 2004, and finished runner-up at the Le Volant d'Or Tournament, known as Toulouse Open the same year.Further, she reached the Final Rounds of the Scottish International tournament 2004 and 40th Portuguese Badminton Championship 2004.In the year 2006, she won the Sri Lanka International Satellite tournament; while in the year 2007, she won the Cyprus Badminton International tournament. The same year, she also won at the Pakistan International Challenge tournament and the Indian International Challenge tournament. Apart from these achievements, Gutta won the Nepal International Series tournament 2008 and Yonex Dutch Open Grand Prix 2008 in the Women's Doubles category.

2010: Commonwealth Gold and breakthrough

Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa winning gold medal for India at Commonwealth Games 2010

Gutta then split with her longtime partner Shruti Kurien due to compatibility issues. She then paired up with youngAshwini Ponnappafrom Bangalore who was called up for the national camp just before the Commonwealth Games. She and Ponnappa then went on to win the sensational gold medal in the women's doubles at theNew Delhi Commonwealth Gamesmaking history of winning the first gold medal for India in the event. They beat much higher ranked Singaporean pair ofShinta Mulia Sariand Yao Lei in the finals 21–15, 21–19 in front of the cheering home crowd and set the stadium ablaze with their win. Gutta and Ponnappa then became household names after winning the medal in front of home crowd. Since, their Gold Medal effort at the games they brought women's doubles into limelight in the country.

After the win Gutta at a press conference stated, "It's unbelievable. I think it was long pending for me. I am quite emotional. The feeling is yet to sink in. Ashwini played exceptionally well and we hope to continue the good work, I want to dedicate the medal to my family who stood by me, my coaches, especially SM Arif, Atik Jauhari and all the team members, Gopi. I owe this medal to all who helped me,"and added that "This medal will silence my critics. This is my answer to them to whatever happened. I am very happy and everyone who has negative thoughts about me, I would like to say just shut-up now,"

2011: World Championships bronze

In 2011, they came up with one of their finest performances when the pair etched their names in history books becoming the first Indian pair to ensure a medal at the World Badminton Championships. The pair defeated 12th seeds Vita Marrisa and Nadya Melati of Indonesia 17–21, 21–10, 21–17 to storm into the women's doubles semifinal before losing out to the Chinese fifth seeds in the semi-finals in London, thereby winning a bronze in the Badminton World Championship. They had previously beatenPoon Lok YanandTse Ying SuetofHong Kong19–21, 21–17, 21–19 in Round of 16. Also, in the second round they had caused a big upset by beating the 2nd seeds and former World Num 1s.Cheng Wen-hsingChien Yu-chinofChinese Taipei21–18 21–18.In a 2016 report published bySportskeeda,the feat was ranked as the fifth greatest achievement of Indian badminton.

2012: London Olympics

She played women's doubles as well as mixed doubles at the 2012 London Olympics becoming the first and the only Indian to qualify in two events in the entire history of the game.Gutta pairing with Ashwini Ponappa lost their opening women's doubles match against the Japanese duo of Mizuki Fujii and Reika Kakiiwa.They then went on to beat the much higher rankedCheng Wen-hsingandChien Yu-chinof Chinese Taipei 25–23, 16–21, 21–18 to register their first win in the group stages.Gutta and Ashwini missed out on a quarterfinal berth by a difference of just one point, even though they beatShinta Mulia Sariand Lei Yao of Singapore 21–16 21–15 in their last group B match, after tying with Japan and Taipei on the number of wins. Prior to India's final group game on Tuesday night, the World number five Japanese pair of Mizuki Fujii and Reika Kakiiwa had shockingly lost to Chinese Taipei's Cheng Wen Hsing and Chien Yu Chin, ranked 10th, 19–21 11–21. India lodged a formal protest with the Games organizers to probe if the women's doubles badminton match involving Japan and Chinese Taipei was played in the right spirit, following the elimination of medal hopes Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa but no action was taken.Following the Olympic Games, Gutta went to a temporary sabbatical from the game.

2013: Comeback and IBL

In January 2013, Gutta announced her comeback to the game and partneredPrajakta Sawantsince Ponnappa was partnering withPradnya Gadreand had committed to continue her partnership with Gadre so went on play with Sawant, who at that time was going through a battle against national coachPullela Gopichand.Indian Badminton League(IBL) was announced the same year.

President Pratibha Patil presenting the Arjuna Award for the year 2011 to Gutta

IBL was a franchise league commercially managed by an Indian sports rights management company, Sporty Solutionz as commercial partners. With the brand value of US$1 million, Indian Badminton League was the richest badminton league in the world. Gutta was one of the six marquee players and team captains to be auctioned. The auction itself was not short of controversy. The base price of Gutta andAshwini Ponnappawas halved from US$50,000 to US$25,000, without the players' notice and Women's Doubles event was replaced by a second Men's Singles. This left both Gutta and Ashwini hurt and angry. Gutta was bought for US$31,000 and captained theDelhi franchise,but the team did not reach the semis and finished fifth. Gutta and Ponnappa after IBL confirmed on that they were set to reunite. Gutta went on to add that the two decided to come together because of a couple of reasons. The first was the Indian Badminton League's organisers knocking out the women's doubles category from the tournament, which in turn resulted in the base prices of Gutta and Ashwini.

2014: Asian and Uber Cup bronze, CWG silver

In 2014 Gutta and Ashwini won the bronze medal atAsian Championshipsin April defeating 3rd seeded Thai pair ofKunchala VoravichitchaikulandDuanganong Aroonkesorn21–11, 21–18 en route losing out to Chinese twinsLuo YingandLuo Yuat the semi-final stage. The pair played a key role inIndia's historic Bronze at theUber Cup in New Delhi.The duo unleashed a giant-killing spree as they had to face much higher ranked opponents in most of their matches and they won each, their biggest win came when outplayed the World No. 9 team ofGreysia PoliiandNitya Krishinda Maheswari21–18, 21–18 fromIndonesiain the first doubles match of the tie. The win took India to the semis for the first time inUber Cuphistory and assured them of the bronze medal.They later participated at the2014 Commonwealth Gamesand narrowly missed the podium finish in the team event came up with the silver medal at the games losing put to Malaysian pair ofVivian HooandWoon Khe Weiin a closely contested final. The Indian pair lost the first game 17–21, before going down in a well-fought second game. Gutta and Ponnappa had taken the lead and looked good to take the match into the deciding third game. It was their second medal at the games after the2010 Gold.

2015: Canada GP title and top-10 ranking

Gutta and Ashwini kick-started 2015 with a semi-final appearance at2015 India Open Grand Prix Goldheld atLucknow.They next appeared in the prestigiousAll England Openreached the 2nd round losing out to the top seedsTian QingandZhao Yunleiin straight games. The pair of Gutta and Ponnappa also re-entered the Top-20 rankings after All England.

In May, Gutta played forIndiaat the2015 Sudirman Cupas they were placed in group 1D, clubbed together with three-time winnerKoreaandMalaysia.The Malaysian team was buoyed by the return of former world no. 1Lee Chong Weifrom a dope-related suspension and that made things difficult for India. India started with a narrow 2–3 loss to MalaysiaSaina Nehwaland the duo of Gutta and Ponnappa delivered the wins. Gutta and Ashwini stole the show with their determined efforts that saw them upsetting the world no. 11 pair ofVivian HooandWoon Khe Wei21–18, 19–21, 21–15.

After the narrow defeat againstMalaysia,India needed to win the tie v Korea to progress into the quarter-finals.Parupalli Kashyapand the men's doubles pair ofPranav ChopraandAkshay Dewalkarlost both their matches the onus was once again on Gutta and Ponnappa. They fought hard but it was not enough to topple the Koreans. Chang Ye Na andJung Kyung-eunwon the contest 18–21, 21–12, 21–12 to seal a 3–1 victory for Korea.With defeats in both the rubbers India failed to make the quarter-finals.

Gutta and Ashwini then participated in the2015 U.S. Open Grand Prix Goldand the pair seeded 4th reached the semi-finals losing out to Japanese pair of Ayane Kurihara and Naru Shinoya 17–21, 11–21.En route to semis they did not lose a single game and defeated Turkish pair ofNeslihan YiğitandÖzge Bayrak21–10, 21–18 and in the quarter-finals defeated German seventh seeds Johanna Goliszewski and Carla Nelte 21–17, 21–14.

The pair next participated in the2015 Canada Open Grand Prixand seeded third went on to win the title defeating top seeded Dutch pair of Eefje Muskens and Selena Piek 21–19, 21–16. It was the pairs first title since coming back together after the2012 Olympics.The win was commended by the Indian media as the duo were the only women's doubles pair from the country to win a Grand Prix title. Gutta expressed her concerns for lack of support for doubles in the country and prompted the association and the government to promote doubles.Gutta toldNDTVin an interview, "We though big wins would wake up concerned people but it hasn't happened yet. We are still confident of representing India at an international level but here, extra support is needed as we can't afford it on our own.

Continuing their good form Gutta and Ponnappa reached the quarter-final stage of the2015 BWF World Championships.The pair received a bye in the first round and defeated Hsieh Pei-chen and Wu Ti-jung of Chinese Taipei in straight sets. In the last 16 clash the pair stunned world no. 6 pair ofReika KakiiwaandMiyuki Maedafrom Japan 21–15, 18–21, 21–19. The pair missed out on the bronze medal after losing out to another Japanese pair ofNaoko FukumanandKurumi Yonao.

The quarter-final finish at the World Championships helped Gutta and Ponnappa jump 2 places in theBWF World Ranking,and they entered the top 10 for the first time in their career. With this Gutta thus became the first player to be ranked in the Top-10 of the world rankings in both the doubles category.

2016: PBL & Second Uber Cup Bronze

Gutta began her 2016 with thePremier Badminton League,where she represented Hyderabad Hunters alongsideLee Chong WeiandParupalli Kashyap.She played in the mixed doubles alongside IndonesianMarkis Kidoand DanishCarsten Mogensen.The team couldn't qualify for the knock-out stage, finishing fifth in the standings.

In May, Gutta was part of the Indian team for the2016 Thomas & Uber Cupheld atKunshan,China.The Indian women's team was put into Group- D alongsideJapan,GermanyandAustralia.The India team beat Germany and Australia 5–0 before losing out to Japan to finish second in the group. In the quarter-finals they came back from a 0–1 deficit afterSaina Nehwallost the first singles to beat Thailand 3–1.Gutta and Ponnappa won their match in straight sets to secure a semifinal berth and the team's second consecutive bronze medal. The Indian team was however beaten by eventual championsChinain the semifinal stage.

Performance in mixed doubles

Early years

Gutta has won titles in the Jakarta Satellite tournament and Welsh International tournament in the year 2005, Sri Lanka International Satellite tournament, Cyprus Badminton International tournament and Indian International Challenge tournament in the year 2007, and Nepal International Series tournament, Bitburger Open Grand Prix tournament and KLRC Bulgaria Open Grand Prix tournament in the year 2008.

Success and top-10 breakthrough

Gutta and Diju won theChinese Taipei Openin 2009 becoming the first Indian pair to winGrand Prix GoldEvent.

Their breakthrough came when Gutta and her partnerValiyaveetil Dijubecame the first Indian badminton mixed doubles pair to win a Grand Prix Gold title. They defeated Indonesia'sHendra Aprida GunawanandVita Marissa24–22, 21–18 in theChinese Taipei Openfinal. In the quarterfinal, the world No. 7 pair and third seed in the tournament, defeated Korean pairShin Baek-cheoland Yoo Hyun-Young and in the semi-final Diju and Gutta prevailed over MalaysiansGoh Liu YingandChan Peng Soon21–11, 17–21, 24–22.

But the biggest achievement came in the same year where she and Diju again reached the quarters of the2009 BWF World Championshipsand became the first Indians to do so repeating the feat at The Championships the following year. The Championships were held atHyderabad,India. The duo, seeded 8th, got a bye in the first round followed by a walkover in the second. In the third round they defeated 12th seed Polish pair ofRobert MateusiakandNadieżda Kostiuczyk21–11 22–20 in a 31-minute clash. In the quarterfinal they went down to defending champions and second seedsNova WidiantoandLiliyana Natsirof Indonesia. The Indian pair was beaten 16–21, 14–21 in 27 minutes.

The same year they went on to reach the finals of theBWF Super Series Masters Finals,an annual tournament held at the end of every year where only the top players with the most points from that calendar year's twelve events of theBWF Super Seriescompete. They beat Robert Mateusiak and Nadieżda Kostiuczyk again in straight-games 21–19 21–11. In the final the Indian pair went down to World Championship bronze medallistsChristinna PedersenandJoachim Fischer Nielsenfrom Denmark 21–14, 21–18. By reaching the tournament finals they became the first Indians to reach the feat in any of the 5 disciplines.

In 2010 the pair reached the quarter-finals of theWorld Championshipsfor the second consecutive year beaten by KoreansHa Jung-eunandKo Sung-hyun21–16, 21–19 having beaten the English pair ofGabrielle WhiteandChris Adcockand Malaysians Liu Ying and Peng Soon in straight games and overcomingYao LeiandChayut Triyachartfrom Indonesia in the pre-quarters in three games. The pair also won the2010 India Open Grand Prix Goldfor their second Grand Prix Gold title beating Lei and Triyachart in three games.In 2011 Gutta and Diju reached the quarter-finals or better at three tournaments including twoSuper Series Premieresevents atDenmark OpenandChina Masterswhere they reached the semi-finals, their first since 2009. They beat second seeded Chinese pair ofTao JiamingandTian Qingin the first round 5–21, 21–14, 21–18.

2012 Olympics and sabbatical

Gutta and Diju reached two quarter-finals in 2012 at theVictor Korea Superseries PremierSingapore Open Superseriesbefore competing at2012 Summer Olympics.Pairing with Diju, Gutta lost her opening match 16–21, 12–21 in just 25 minutes at the Wembley Arena in London Olympics. The pair also lost their next two matches and thus could not qualify for the knockout stage. Despite having enjoyed great success in the Mixed Doubles category, she has shifted her focus on to Women's Doubles event since her sabbatical.In March 2016, Gutta announced a comeback to the mixed category. She stated in her interview that she missed the titles she "used to win with V Diju". She confirmed that she would not play alongside Diju but was a looking for a suitable partner and would start playing in April.

2016: Comeback to mixed doubles

In an interview in August 2016, Gutta shared her plans of returning to the mixed doubles competition, without disclosing a probable partner.

Personal life and other works

During her badminton career, Gutta began dating fellow badminton playerChetan Anand.The couple married on 17 July 2005 and got divorced on 29 June 2011. Her divorce gained unwanted media attention and speculation arose about an affair with ex-cricketerMohammad Azharuddinwhich was never confirmed due to lack of any proof and constant denials from Gutta herself. Azharuddin confirmed filing his divorce but denied that it had anything to do with Gutta.

Azhar had also hinted that these stories had been planted by people in the Badminton Association of India, who wanted to tarnish his image since he tried to contest for the presidents' elections. He said, "These are planted stories and motivated by people, who are against me in theBadminton Association of India.They are so upsetting. "In 2013, Gutta said in an interview, "I learnt a lot from the marriage but we weren't growing as a couple. A part of me forgot that I too was a part of the sport. I was satisfied thinking that his victories were our victories."

Gutta has supported some social causes, including women empowerment issues, anti-tobacco and anti-zoo campaigns.She has also been involved in many other campaigns including theIce Bucket Challenge,Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.Gutta also launched theIndian Badminton League's (IBL) school programme 'Shuttle Express' in Pune for school children. Speaking during the briefing, Gutta said: "I am really happy to be here with the kids who are playing not only to win the Shuttle Express but to be the next badminton champion for India. Wishing everyone all the best and I know thePuneparticipants will make everyone proud. "

In 2013, she made her film debut with acameo appearancein a song from the Telugu-language filmGunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde.Jwala describes herself asatheist.

Gutta was reportedly dating Tamil film actorVishnu Vishal.Both of them posted pictures on their social media, confirming the same, for the New Year 2020. On her birthday in 2020, the couple got engaged.They were married on April 22, 2021, inHyderabad.

In the media

"Life is all about love. It's a score in badminton, but in both, one begins from scratch, is what I believe in." – Jwala in an interview with theHindustan Times.

Gutta has been listed as the most inspirational sportswomen from India on numerous occasions.Her outspoken nature has often attracted controversies from various groups. According to Gutta, such controversies do not bother her as she had been taught to speak up for whats right and take a stand for herself and others too. "My father (Kranti) told me at a young age to fight for what I believed in. I've never learnt to butter up people," stated Gutta in an interview withHindustan Times."Controversies don't bother me. I'm not the one who instigates them. But when your name gets dragged into it, you can't keep quiet," she said. She said she is targeted because she speaks her mind.S. M. ArifGutta's coach said, "This girl, she is there with me since she was 4 years old, from that age she is there with me and one thing about her is that she is the laziest person as far as the training is concerned and as far as the court is concerned you keep her for the whole long day and she will be happy, otherwise her genes might be helping her out."

Gutta has spoken against body shaming in sports.In an interview she said, "I don't understand this image thing. What's wrong in liking clothes or dressing up? InIndia,there is this image that if you dress shabbily, you are a serious sportsperson. If you care about dressing up, you aren't one. People are under the impression I lead an exciting life but honestly, all I do is sleep, eat and practice ".Gutta is also a celebrity endorser and has been associated with several brands and services, also appearing on the covers of numerous magazines.

In January 2020, Gutta tauntedSaina Nehwalfor joining the current ruling partyBJP,however Twitter users criticized her comment.

IBL row

A controversy had erupted during the August 25 tie of theIndian Badminton Leaguewhen theDelhi Smashershad threatened to pull out from the lot match againstBanga Beatsover the last-minute replacement of injuredHu YunofHong Kong,withDenmark'sJan Ø. Jørgensen.As the team captain for Smashers, Gutta was involved in a lengthy discussion, which was resolved after Beats agreed to drop Jorgensen. Gutta was then served a 14-day showcause notice byBAIfor her conduct during the tie, which was delayed by half an hour. In what was dubbed a surprise decision, theBadminton Association of India's disciplinary committee recommended a life ban on Gutta for the same.

BAI presidentAkhilesh DasGupta had said that if Gutta tenders an unconditional apology, her case may be reconsidered. However, she said that she would not apologise as asked by the BAI. Her camp made note two potential reasons for the harsh stand taken by BAI; first, Gutta had been vocal against the women's doubles event being taken off the competition in IBL, a decision that had created quite a stir before the tournament, and second, the coming together of Gutta and Ponnappa for the women's doubles (who did not train atPullela Gopichand's academy).On the advice of her coach,S. M. Arif,Gutta filed a defamation suit against BAI for going to the press without issuing her a ban notice. "This is cruellest joke on badminton and on a player of Gutta's calibre," Arif said adding that she committed no mistake and hence there is no question of an apology. He said that the BAI had repeatedly insulted the player who has brought laurels to the country.

Blaming Gopichand, the chief national coach, for "not supporting her" in the fiasco, Gutta said she tried to resolve the issue by talking to everyone in the administration even before the show cause notice was issued. She spoke with the press saying, "I love to play [...] No one on this earth can stop me from playing. In fact, no one should stop anyone from playing. I never thought that they [BAI] would stoop down to this level."

Eventually, theDelhi High Courtput a stay on BAI's decision to not allow Gutta to play at international tournaments. Justice V.K. Jain told the BAI: "You must allow her to play.".During the controversy Gutta received overwhelming support from fans and fellow sports-persons. Several former players described theBadminton Association of Indiadisciplinary committee's recommendation of a life ban on the player as "ridiculous" and "harsh".Former national coachU. Vimal Kumarsaid the HC order has shownIndian badmintonin bad light.S.M. Arif,was even harsher saying, "The emphasis on her apology rather than the misconduct attributed to her shows clearly that the BAI has gone off the rails,"Gutta also received support fromPetroleum MinisterVeerappa Moily,who wrote a letter to Sports MinisterJitendra Singh,saying that Gutta was being treated unfairly and if it continued then the Petroleum sector may be forced to reconsider its association with BAI at various levels. He warned the Sports Ministry be fair to Gutta or lose funding.The Sports Minister responded to Moily's letter saying that he would examine her case and extend all the support to her.

The long-standing deadlock between Gutta and the Association ended with the national federation dropping all the charges against her. The impasse was reported to have ended inNew Delhiwhen Gutta met BAI president Akhilesh Das after the78th Senior National Championshipswhere she had emerged as thedoubles championalongside Ponnappa. "I am very happy with the decision BAI has taken. I will be playing as a part of the Indian team in future tournaments too. It will be an honour to represent the country as always," Gutta was quoted as saying to theTimes of India.

Awards

In 2011, Gutta was awarded theArjuna awardby the Indian Government, India's second highest sporting honour for her achievements as a badminton player.

Career highlights

BWF World Championships

Women's doubles

Year	Venue	Partner	Opponent	Score	Result
2011	Wembley Arena,London,England	Ashwini Ponnappa	Tian Qing Zhao Yunlei	14–21, 16–21	Bronze

Commonwealth Games

Women's doubles

Year	Venue	Partner	Opponent	Score	Result
2014	Emirates Arena,Glasgow,Scotland	Ashwini Ponnappa	Vivian Kah Mun Hoo Woon Khe Wei	17–21, 21–23	Silver
2010	Siri Fort Sports Complex,New Delhi,India	Ashwini Ponnappa	Shinta Mulia Sari Yao Lei	21–16, 21–19	Gold

Asian Championships

Women's doubles

Year	Venue	Partner	Opponent	Score	Result
2014	Gimcheon Indoor Stadium, Gimcheon,South Korea	Ashwini Ponnappa	Luo Ying Luo Yu	12–21, 7–21	Bronze

South Asian Games

Women's doubles

Year	Venue	Partner	Opponent	Score	Result
2016	Multipurpose Hall SAI-SAG Centre, Shillong,India	Ashwini Ponnappa	N. Sikki Reddy K. Maneesha	21–9, 21–17	Gold
2006	Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium, Colombo,Sri Lanka	Shruti Kurien	B. R. Meenakshi Aparna Balan	18–21, 23–21, 21–12	Gold
2004	Rodham Hall,Islamabad, Pakistan	Shruti Kurien	Fathima Nazneen Manjusha Kanwar	15–6, 15–3	Gold

Mixed doubles

Year	Venue	Partner	Opponent	Score	Result
2006	Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium, Colombo,Sri Lanka	V. Diju	Thomas Kurien Aparna Balan	21–11, 21–13	Gold
2004	Rodham Hall,Islamabad, Pakistan	Jaseel P. Ismail	Marcos Bristow Manjusha Kanwar	15–6, 15–3	Gold

BWF Superseries

Mixed doubles

Year	Tournament	Partner	Opponent	Score	Result
2009	Superseries Finals	V. Diju	Joachim Fischer Nielsen Christinna Pedersen	14–21, 18–21	Runner-up

BWF Superseries Finalstournament

BWF Superseries Premiertournament

BWF Superseriestournament

BWF Grand Prix

Women's doubles

Year	Tournament	Partner	Opponent	Score	Result
2015	Canada Open	Ashwini Ponnappa	Eefje Muskens Selena Piek	21–19, 21–16	Winner
2010	India Open	Ashwini Ponnappa	Shinta Mulia Sari Yao Lei	11–21, 21–9, 15–21	Runner-up
2008	Bulgarian Open	Shruti Kurien	Shendy Puspa Irawati Meiliana Jauhari	21–11, 21–19	Winner

Mixed doubles

Year	Tournament	Partner	Opponent	Score	Result
2010	India Open	V. Diju	Chayut Triyachart Yao Lei	23–21, 20–22, 21–7	Winner
2009	Chinese Taipei Open	V. Diju	Hendra Aprida Gunawan Vita Marissa	23–21, 21–18	Winner
2009	India Open	V. Diju	Flandy Limpele Vita Marissa	14–21, 17–21	Runner-up
2008	Bulgarian Open	V. Diju	Fran Kurniawan Shendy Puspa Irawati	15–21, 21–18, 21–19	Winner
2008	Bitburger Open	V. Diju	Joachim Fischer Nielsen Christinna Pedersen	8–21, 21–17, 22–20	Winner

BWF International Challenge/Series/Satellite

Women's doubles

Year	Tournament	Partner	Opponent	Score	Result
2008	Nepal International	Shruti Kurien	Anjali Kalita Jyotshna Polavarapu	21–6, 21–8	Winner
2007	Tata Open India International	Shruti Kurien	Jyotshna Polavarapu Aparna Balan	21–11, 21–8	Winner
2007	Pakistan International	Shruti Kurien	Renu Chandrika Hettiarachchige Thilini Jayasinghe	21–13, 21–14	Winner
2007	Cyprus International	Shruti Kurien	Kati Tolmoff Ragna Ingolfsdottir	21–12, 21–13	Winner
2006	India Satellite	Shruti Kurien	Jung Youn-kyung Kim Min-jung	18–21, 19–21	Runner-up
2006	Sri Lanka Satellite	Shruti Kurien	Haw Chiou Hwee Lim Yin Loo	21–15, 14–21, 22–20	Winner
2004	Syed Modi International	Shruti Kurien	Wong Mew Choo Anita Raj Kaur	15–5, 17–15	Winner
2004	Le Volant d'Or de Toulouse	Shruti Kurien	Anastasia Russkikh Petya Nedelcheva	11–15, 6–15	Runner-up

Mixed doubles

Year	Tournament	Partner	Opponent	Score	Result
2008	Nepal International	V. Diju	J. B. S. Vidyadhar Shruti Kurien	21–12, 21–15	Winner
2007	Tata Open India International	V. Diju	Rupesh Kumar Aparna Balan	21–14, 21–16	Winner
2007	Cyprus International	Chetan Anand	Christian John Skovgaard Maria Kaaberbol Thorberg	21–14, 22–20	Winner
2006	Sri Lanka Satellite	Chetan Anand	Chan Peng Soon Haw Chiou Hwee	21–10, 15–21, 21–18	Winner
2005	Welsh International	V. Diju	Watson Briggs Imogen Bankier	12–15, 15–2, 15–9	Winner
2005	Jakarta Satellite	V. Diju	Trần Thanh Hải Ngô Hải Vân	15–1, 15–3	Winner
2001	India Satellite	J. B. S. Vidyadhar	Sandesh Chouta B. R. Meenakshi	15–10, 11–15, 15–9	Winner

BWF International Challengetournament

BWF International Seriestournament

BWF events

Result	Year	Tournament	Partner
Quarter-Finals	2009	BWF World Championships	V. Diju
Quarter-Finals	2010	BWF World Championships	V. Diju
Bronze Medal	2011	BWF World Championships	Ashwini Ponnappa
Bronze Medal	2014	Uber Cup	Women's Team
Quarter-Finals	2015	BWF World Championships	Ashwini Ponnappa
Bronze Medal	2016	Uber Cup	Women's Team

Others

Result	Year	Tournament	Partner
Bronze Medal	2006	Commonwealth Games	Mixed Team
Gold Medal	2010	Commonwealth Games	Ashwini Ponnappa
Silver Medal	2010	Commonwealth Games	Mixed Team
Bronze Medal	2014	Badminton Asia Championships	Ashwini Ponnappa
Silver Medal	2014	Commonwealth Games	Ashwini Ponnappa

External links

• Jwala GuttaatBWF.tournamentsoftware.com
• Jwala GuttaatBWFbadminton.com
• Jwala GuttaatOlympics.com
• Jwala GuttaatOlympedia
• Jwala Guttaat theCommonwealth Games Federation(archived)
• Jwala Guttaat theCommonwealth Games Federation(archived)
• Media related toJwala Guttaat Wikimedia Commons