Machangada A. Laksh Chengappa, a promising badminton player from Mysuru city, emerged victorious in the U-19 badminton singles category at Khelo India Youth Games 2024. This prestigious event, marking its sixth edition under the Indian Government’s Khelo India initiative, concluded on Jan. 31.

With a participation of over 5,600 athletes from across the nation, the event took place from Jan. 19 to Jan. 31, hosted in four cities of Tamil Nadu. The badminton singles competition was held in Chennai from Jan. 27 to Jan. 30, where Laksh demonstrated his prowess by defeating Ansh Negi from Uttarakhand.

Laksh secured a victory with a score of 21-17 in the first set and maintained the momentum in the second set with a score of 21-13, ultimately clinching the gold medal in the U-19 badminton singles title. Laksh showcased consistently exceptional performances throughout 2023 in U-17 & U-19 categories. His outstanding achievements include a remarkable feat in winning All-India Sub Junior National Ranking (U-17) Championship held in Bengaluru.

His impressive medal-winning performances for the year 2023-24 are a bronze medal in the U-17 All India Sub Junior National Ranking held in Lucknow from June 20 to 27, 2023, a gold medal in the South Zone Championship held in Coimbatore from Aug. 11 to Aug. 14, 2023.

Laksh won a gold medal in the Inter-Zonal and Junior National Championship (U-19) held in Bengaluru from Sept. 7 to 8, 2023, a gold medal in the All India Sub Junior National Ranking U-17 held in Bengaluru from Nov. 28 to Dec. 5, 2023.

Laksh is in Class 10, studying through the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS). He was trained by the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy and is now set to undergo training at the Badminton Association of India’s National Centre of Excellence in Guwahati.  He was also trained at Sports Park by Aroon Pemmaiah (Head Coach) and B.P. Bheemaiah (Senior Coach).

Laksh is the son of Machangada B. Aiyappa (Roshan), a coffee planter from Kottageri in Balele, South Kodagu and Prarthana Uthappa. They live in Vijayanagar 4th Stage, Mysuru. While Aiyappa is a hockey player who has represented Karnataka across various Hockey India Senior Men’s National Championships, Laksh’s mother Prarthana is a basketball player and now works for Railways.