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Prakash Padukone's sporting journey began modestly in 1962 at the tender age of seven. During those days, badminton and ball badminton coexisted—ball badminton being notably popular in southern India, played with a yellow woolen ball. Padukone was introduced to the sport through his father, who was an active badminton player and umpire. Intriguingly, during this era, there were only five badminton courts in Bangalore—most of which were primarily used for weddings—highlighting the sport's limited infrastructure and popularity at the time.