The Hindu : Sport / Badminton : Need for infrastructural change: Gopi Chand

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Friday, May 20, 2005

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Sport - Badminton

Need for infrastructural change: Gopi Chand

Sports Reporter

KOLKATA: The former All-England badminton champion Pullela Gopi Chand called for a revamp of the sport's infrastructure in the country to raise it from its "present mediocrity.''

Speaking at a news conference here on Thursday, the ace shuttler said though things have improved in India over the last 15 years, "we are still very primitive compared to the leading badminton playing nations of the world like China and Indonesia.''

Gopi Chand, in the city to launch the Badminton Players' Association (BPA) organised city league, was sore about the big chasm between what the government does for the sport and what is actually needed to lift the country's status in badminton.

"We have allowed it to happen for all too long. There is a hue and cry in the Parliament before every Olympics but once the event is over everything dies down. It is time we got down to business and contribute in whatever little way we can to take the game forward," he said.

He cited the example of Indonesia, which has 27 academies in each of its 27 provinces providing a steady supply of talent to the national academy of the Indonesian Badminton Association.

As a solution to the problems he said, "We need good courts and round the year supply of quality shuttles. We also need good coaches who are at par with the coaches around the world. And having met these conditions we need to play more tournaments both in India and abroad."

About his future plans he said, "I would love to play in two or three upcoming domestic tournaments.

After that I will think of the rest of the year. The Doha Asian Games is too far away," he said.

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