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As day five of the Odisha Masters 2023 unfolded at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Cuttack, badminton legend, Vice President, BAI and chief coach of the Indian National Badminton team, Pullela Gopichand graced the event bringing a wave of support and encouragement to the athletes participating in the six-day BWF Super 100 event. Earlier in the day, he visited and reviewed the soon-to-be inaugurated Badminton High Performance Centre (HPC) at the Kalinga Sports Complex.
Reflecting on the spectacle of the tournament, the Padma Bhushan awardee shared, "It's wonderful to see the event, the level of competition and the excitement around it. Furthermore, to have so many young kids present here and witness great badminton action, I'm sure it will inspire a lot of them." With Indians finding their way to the Mixed Doubles, Women's Doubles, Men's Doubles and Men's Singles finals, Gopichand expressed optimism, stating, "It's good to see Indians excel in this tournament and earn points that are crucial to rankings. Events like this allow our athletes to be seen and get inspired. It is a big plus for Indian badminton." Odisha, in their pursuit of promoting and developing sports in the region have identified Badminton as a priority sector. The state has also announced 90 multipurpose indoor stadiums to be established across the state of which 40 are ready for inauguration, badminton will be an integral part of this initiative. Commending Odisha's robust efforts in promoting sports, especially badminton, Gopichand remarked, "It is great to see the way Odisha is promoting Indian sports and badminton. To have 90 multipurpose indoor stadiums across Odisha, providing young aspiring athletes the chance to play numerous sports including badminton, is truly amazing." Turning attention to the Badminton High-Performance Centre which is soon to be the newest addition to several High-Performance Centers at the Kalinga Sports Complex, the legendary coach was abundant in his praise, "I'm just returning from the HPC at the Kalinga Stadium, and it is a wonderful structure, that is unique and very well planned. The Kalinga Sports Complex has shaped into a fine sports ecosystem." He further added, "I believe, the badminton HPC will shape a lot of top talents from this part of the country and the support of the Odisha government will be instrumental in shaping these careers."(ANI)
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