Padukone School of Badminton launched in Odisha

Established by legendary badminton player Padmashree Prakash Padukone, the academy has trained and prepared 900 coaches under its curriculum, helping hundreds of young and emerging players gain access to high-quality coaching.

The objective of bringing the Padukone School of Badminton to Odisha is to establish high-end training centres in schools, focusing on the development of badminton players from a very young age without hampering their academic studies. The initiative aims to provide high-level badminton coaching under the technical guidance and curriculum designed by experts at the Padukone School of Badminton. The program will offer a platform for players of all age groups to train under professional national and international coaches while participating in multiple tournaments to enhance their career prospects.

As Odisha has recently been termed the 'Sports Capital of India' due to its rapid progress in sports facility enhancement, Nirmala Kotnis, Head of Operations at the Padukone School of Badminton and a former international badminton player, expressed her satisfaction with the initiative.

She emphasized, "Odisha will soon produce some of the finest medal-winning badminton players."

Speaking on the initiative's planning, Nirmala Kotnis highlighted the abundance of sports talent in Odisha.

"A lot of athletes from Odisha are not just excelling at the national or state level but also bringing laurels to our country. Keeping this in mind, we are collaborating with as many schools as possible in Odisha. Prakash Sir believes that real talent lies in schools, and from there, we can groom kids into the best badminton players," she told ANI.

She further explained the pathway for talented players, stating, "From these school-based training programs, some players will progress to our excellence centre in Bangalore, the Padukone-Dravid Centre of Excellence. If everything goes well and with the cooperation of everyone in Odisha, we will establish our own excellence centre in the state. Prakash Sir will also visit Odisha regularly."

Kotnis also emphasized the development of coaches, stating, "There is a lot of coaching talent in Odisha. We receive numerous inquiries from individuals who want to join our academy. We are planning to identify and train these coaches, strengthening our coaching network. We already have over 200 certified coaches through our training program, and with the help of Odisha players, we will take badminton to the next level in the state."

Regarding the potential of badminton players from Odisha on the international stage, Kotnis remarked, "The scope is very high. The most hardworking and dedicated players are found in Odisha, not in Mumbai. Just like Prakash Sir discovered Lakshya Sen at the age of eight and groomed him into a top international player, we want to find more such talented individuals in Odisha. The next big stop for Indian badminton is Odisha."

Kotnis emphasized the strong collaboration with Insig Edu Sports, stating, "This partnership is vital because they have a strong education framework. We believe that education is equally important as sports. This initiative ensures that kids can excel in sports while maintaining their academic growth."

Ajeeja Khanam, Co-founder of Insig Edu Sports, elaborated on the training approach, stating, "We plan to train kids at the grassroots level, starting from their schools. Every year, 100-200 students per school will be trained. We will maintain a coach-to-student ratio of 1:20, ensuring personalized guidance based on skill level."

With a strong focus on developing both players and coaches, the Padukone School of Badminton, in collaboration with Insig Edu Sports, is set to revolutionize badminton training in Odisha and contribute significantly to the future of Indian badminton. (ANI)