Anurag Thakur calls to develop more skills to compete at International level

d that the state-of-the-art facilities at this Centre should be utilised to develop more skills to compete at the International level.

Thakur, Union Minister of Information & Broadcasting and Youth Affairs and Sports was interacting with sportspersons at the Padukone-Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence (CSE).

The Minister said that one should not wait for the weekend or holidays to play games but start anywhere and at any time.

The Padukone-Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence (CSE) is a world-class integrated sports complex built on 15 acres in Bengaluru. CSE offers state-of-the-art facilities in Badminton, Cricket, Football, Tennis, Swimming, Squash, Basketball and Shooting. CSE aims to encourage competitive and recreational athletes, professional coaches, sports academies and aspiring young talent to excel in their sport of choice. CSE was recently recognised by the sports authority of India as a National Centre of Excellence for both Badminton and Swimming.

Academies at CSE cater to grassroots level programs to encourage and build a sporting culture, whilst also aiming to produce international players in the future. CSE is already host to some of India's most talented and successful athletes in the likes of Lakshya Sen, Srihari Nataraj, Ashwini Ponnappa and Apurvi Chandeli.

CSE is home to some of the most successful and well-renowned sports academies in the country, run by some of the most accomplished coaches, including Dronacharya awardees Vimal Kumar (Chief Coach of Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy) and Nihar Amin (Head Coach of Dolphin Aquatics).

An important aspect of an athlete's journey is the support they require through sports sciences in order to perform on the world stage. At CSE, the Abhinav Bindra Targeting Performance Centre (ABTP), Vesoma Sports Medical Centre and Samiksha Psychology offer the athletes and client's services including physiotherapy, injury rehabilitation, hydrotherapy, geriatric care, sports nutrition and sports psychology.

ABTP was set up by India's only individual Olympic gold medallist, Abhinav Bindra, and the centre boasts state-of-the-art equipment for assessment and training for both elite athletes and recreational users including access to a Pilate's room and a cryotherapy chamber.

The Centre also offers sport membership to sport-loving individuals and corporates. Along with the sport of their choice, they get access to a fully functional fitness centre and access to 'The Grandstand', a two-storey clubhouse nestled in heart of the campus.

Rahul Dravid, former Cricketer, Vivek Kumar, Managing Director, Padukone-Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence (CSE), and Members and Senior Officers were present during the visit. (ANI)