'Sindhu can be No 1'
Bengaluru: Dec 24, 2016, DHNS
Padukone urges BAI to upgrade infrastructure
Calling it the golden or even platinum generation of Indian badminton, Prakash Padukone expressed his belief that ace shuttler PV Sindhu could soon rise to the top of the women’s rankings.
Speaking at a workshop organised for 22 junior athletes by the Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ) at the Karnataka Badminton Association (KBA) here on Friday, Padukone said, “There has been a marked change in Sindhu’s confidence post the Olympics. She seems stronger mentally and I am positive that she can climb to the top of the world rankings.”
The former All-England champion went on to make a plea to the Badminton Association of India (BAI), asking them to provide better infrastructure in certain parts of the country.
“They (BAI) need to take more initiatives to upgrade the infrastucture in various regions around the country. At present, there are a lot of good badminton players coming out of the north-east but they don’t quite have the facilities to improve on their talent.
“With better training facilities, I have no doubt that we will be able to compete with players from China and other top nations,” he added. Also present at the workshop to share their stories and offer tips were Saina Nehwal, who has been charting her return from a knee injury, and her coach U Vimal Kumar.
The Hyderabad lass, who has been an OGQ athlete for the last seven years, also laid emphasis on how important it was to receive support from the government and various public sector companies, in terms of having financial security as a sportsperson.
“Things have changed drastically in the last ten years and the government has really helped us financially, which gives us an opportunity to participate in almost every tournament around the world.”
“There are also various public sector organisations that reserve jobs for athletes, giving us a sense of financial security,” she added.
Speaking at a workshop organised for 22 junior athletes by the Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ) at the Karnataka Badminton Association (KBA) here on Friday, Padukone said, “There has been a marked change in Sindhu’s confidence post the Olympics. She seems stronger mentally and I am positive that she can climb to the top of the world rankings.”
The former All-England champion went on to make a plea to the Badminton Association of India (BAI), asking them to provide better infrastructure in certain parts of the country.
“They (BAI) need to take more initiatives to upgrade the infrastucture in various regions around the country. At present, there are a lot of good badminton players coming out of the north-east but they don’t quite have the facilities to improve on their talent.
“With better training facilities, I have no doubt that we will be able to compete with players from China and other top nations,” he added. Also present at the workshop to share their stories and offer tips were Saina Nehwal, who has been charting her return from a knee injury, and her coach U Vimal Kumar.
The Hyderabad lass, who has been an OGQ athlete for the last seven years, also laid emphasis on how important it was to receive support from the government and various public sector companies, in terms of having financial security as a sportsperson.
“Things have changed drastically in the last ten years and the government has really helped us financially, which gives us an opportunity to participate in almost every tournament around the world.”
“There are also various public sector organisations that reserve jobs for athletes, giving us a sense of financial security,” she added.
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