She was born in Wardha and raised in Hyderabad. |
Her father, Kranti Gutta, is a Telugu Hindu, while her mother, Yelan Gutta, is of Chinese descent. |
Her mother, Yelan, is the granddaughter of a Chinese Gandhian named Tseng and visited India in 1971 with her mother to see the Sevagram Ashram and translate Gandhi’s autobiography into Chinese. |
Jwala Gutta initially wanted to pursue a career in tennis but her mother encouraged her to play badminton. |
At the age of 4, her father introduced her to the National Badminton Coach, S. M. Arif. |
Before starting her badminton training, she learned gymnastics and swimming. |
She began playing badminton at age 6 and won the Under-13 Girls Mini National Badminton Championship in Kerala. |
Jwala Gutta partnered with Shruti Kurien and won the Women’s Doubles National title for 7 consecutive years (2002-2008). |
After her divorce, there were media speculations regarding her alleged relationship with ex-Indian Cricketer, Mohammad Azharuddin. |
She is actively involved in various social causes like anti-tobacco campaigns, anti-zoo campaigns, and women empowerment. |
She has been recognized multiple times as one of India's most inspirational sportswomen. |
In 2011, she was conferred with the Arjuna Award, India’s 2nd highest sporting honor. |
In 2013, she made an appearance in an item number in the Telugu film, Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde. |