GoSports boost for Gopichand’s academy

Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy (PGBA) added a new milestone to its cap with the launch of the GoSports Foundation Badminton Development Programme at its premises in the city on Monday. The Bangalore-based GoSports Foundation, which has Gopichand, Abhinav Bindra, Rahul Dravid as advisors has been in the forefront of spotting and nurturing junior Olympic talent for six years now.

Speaking at the launch, nine-time National champion Aparna Popat, also the programme mentor, pointed out that the PGBA was the best destination to begin the ambitiously drawn programme that has been evolved scientifically. The programme is double-edged. While the Scholarship Programme identifies and provides to the brilliantly gifted young shuttlers, the Athlete Education Programme is almost like one that builds bench strength of potential champions.

Popat said that the scholarship beneficiaries would be provided monetary and non-monetary support including access to world-class fitness experts, mental conditioning coaches, physiotherapists and nutritionists to prepare them for the challenges of high performance sport. But, the primary focus of the GoSports Foundation Badminton Development Programme will be to understand the unique challenges that each player faces and tailor the support programme to suit their needs.

The chief coach of the national badminton team was philosophical in his observations. “Indian Badminton is on the rise with our top players performing consistently well at the international level. With the right kind of professional support, the promising lot can make for impressive long-term investment. Through the GoSports Foundation Badminton Development Programme, we aim to keep the momentum going and build a positive environment for young shuttlers, and offer holistic support to them as they transition to higher levels of competition.”

Saisudha Sugavanam, Programme Director of the GoSports Foundation said, “We began our Scholarship Programme for badminton in 2012 with five athletes. We have seen K Srikanth and H S Prannoy mature into world beaters. Their rise has strengthened our belief that the right support at the right time can catalyse a player’s growth. With PGBA joining forces, GoSports Foundation can put in place a workable and result-oriented structure that will continue to produce several success stories.”