He made history by winning the prestigious All England Open Badminton Championships in 2001. Rewards followed and he became one of the most recognised faces in Indian sport. Yet he has not changed over the years. Success, first as a player and now as a coach, has not affected his temperament. He is still cool, restrained, suave and focused. If anything, with time he has become more determined and works twice as hard to produce champions at his now famous Gopichand Badminton Academy in Hyderabad.
Pullela Gopichand has achieved what most Indian sportspersons can only think of, turning into reality a dream he had seven years ago. He set up India’s biggest badminton academy, the Gopichand Badminton Academy (GBA), at Gachibowli at a cost of Rs 9 crore. It provides world-class facilities to up-and-coming shuttlers and serves players from India and abroad. Gopichand is the only sportsperson to make use of the five acres allotted by the state government, and he raised the money independently through friends.
The academy building is 42 ft high and 270 ft long and houses eight courts. “The academy has procured the world’s best equipment to help players recover faster and train harder – a health club, ice bath, steam bath and Jacuzzi, and physiologists. The wooden flooring of the courts was laid to international standards. The academy provides boarding for 30 players in its 14 fully furnished rooms. The whole idea is to cut down the time spent travelling from hotels to the stadium. Modern-day training is not just about skills but also about the recovery phase,” said Gopichand, who is also India’s chief coach.
The idea behind GBA
The main idea behind setting up GBA was to attract talent from various parts of the world and give it a place to hone its skills. “The academy started in July 2008 in Hyderabad with the intention of having a world-class facility in our city, so that our players don’t have to leave and go abroad. They can train here in one place. We have had some amazing results over the last few years and we are hopeful that the academy will do well in future too. I can see a pool of youngsters already being attracted to the game. Academies have revolutionised badminton in India. We have players like Saina, Kashyap, Guru and a lot of youngsters who have been doing well in international events. I hope more kids from our country come up and do well internationally,” said Gopichand.
Perspective on coaching
Dronacharya awardee Gopichand, the main force behind the emergence of Saina Nehwal, P Kashyap and now PV Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth as the country’s best shuttlers, has also taken charge of coaching the India team. He says coaching is not an easy job.
“I have been coaching for 13 years. It takes a lot to coach players and understand their psyche. For me it is about giving coaching a personal touch, as I worked hard on court for years myself. I understand it better and can tackle the problems players face quite well. I spend most of my time with the players so that I understand them better and coach them better,” he added.
Structure of the academy
Between eight and 10 coaches assist Gopichand at the centre. At present about 20 players train and stay at the academy, and about 50 more train there without living in the hostel. Players are divided into groups on the basis of performance and age. They get personal attention from the coaches, and all their requirements are given due importance.
Championships held at GBA
GBA has hosted the 2004 Asian Championships and the Yonex Sunrise India Open, a Grand Prix-level tournament. The World Championships, the biggest tournament in the sport, have also been played here.
GBA and other academies
The Badminton Asia Confederation has officially nominated the academy as an Asia Training Centre, along with BAM in Kuala Lumpur. This allows players, officials and coaches from across Asia to be trained in the latest advances, techniques and developments in badminton. “A string of regular international events, seminars, conferences, coaching clinics and training programmes gives excellent exposure to the players and coaches of this academy and helps them polish their skills and produce world champions. Emphasis is also placed on eating the right kind of food, so there is a well-stocked cafeteria and a dietitian for nutrition counselling. For physical fitness there is an athletics track, an upcoming swimming pool, weight training and, of course, yoga and meditation for mental rejuvenation. All of these facilities are available under one roof at GBA,” says Gopichand.
Pool of youngsters at GBA
India’s top shuttler Saina Nehwal trained at the academy before shifting her base to Bangalore two years ago. Arundhati Pantawane and P Kashyap, along with young players such as Guru Sai Dutt, HS Prannoy, PV Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth, all stay at GBA and train under Gopichand. “Young players have done really well. These players will be at the top in a few years. Five years ago I had one player to focus on; now I have at least five or six players to invest my time in. Young guns like Sourabh Verma, HS Prannoy and PV Sindhu are giving good results,” said Gopichand.
“Gopi sir thinks a lot about us and plans accordingly. Whatever we are today is because of him,” says Guru Sai Dutt, gold medallist at the 2011 National Games.
“At the academy, it is the atmosphere that has really helped us grow as badminton players. Gopi sir is a dedicated soul. He reaches the academy at 4.30 in the morning and leaves at seven in the evening. He is the best coach in India. The programme guides and the monthly recreational activities at the academy make it world class and unique,” said Arundhati Pantawane, also a gold medallist at the 2011 National Games.
What’s on offer for the public
The academy also encourages tournament play for children, with budding players taking part in state and national championships. Gopichand believes this serves as a talent search mechanism, adding that one needs to start young to understand the pulse of the game. The academy also welcomes hobby players who simply want to play and keep fit, and it is becoming a place working professionals can look to for corporate outings.
The future
Professional training centres like GBA are helping Indian badminton grow. They have popularised the game and have also produced talented players for the country. “We already have some great young players who have the talent to reach the top 30 in the rankings. We, the coaches, need to give them more attention, and international exposure can work wonders,” says Gopichand.
Gopichand also wants to promote other sports at GBA, such as table tennis and swimming, and plans to bring in experts in those fields. Yoga, aerobics and meditation are encouraged too. The academy is almost like a sports village. Through GBA, Gopichand is giving back to the nation something it can be proud of.
By Akshi Aggarwal
Indian Sports News
