Jwala takes academy route to lift game

The Hyderabadi who has always been vocal about how doubles badminton in India does not get enough attention, vouches that it will be given equal importance as singles, if not more.
Jwala Gutta says focus will be on doubles as well as singles | express
Jwala Gutta says focus will be on doubles as well as singles | express

HYDERABAD : These days it’s common for sportspersons to open their own academies and coaching facilities when they retire or are at the end of their careers. Hyderabad is a hub for such institutions, be it the world-renowned Gopichand Academy, Gagan Narang’s Gun for Glory Shooting Academy or the Sania Mirza Tennis Academy.

The latest entrant to the club is former world championship bronze medallist Jwala Gutta, who plans to churn out over 100 global academies for badminton in the next two years, with it’s centre of excellence in the city.

The academy that has SM Arif as the chief mentor and Govardhan Reddy, who has closely worked with Saina Nehwal in the past as head coach, will focus on training the coaches in India, apart from nurturing young talent in the country.

“The basic idea of these academies is to provide a good coaching environment to the youngsters. We want to be the hub of badminton coaching in India. That is why we have planned to open 100 academies in the next two years. Also, our focus will be on train coaches, of which there is a heavy shortage in the country,” Jwala told Express.

With Gopichand Academy and Chetan Anand Academy already established in Hyderabad, Jwala looks forward to a healthy competition, which would ultimately lead to the betterment of the sport in the country. The 33-year-old did not shy away from claiming that they have a concrete plan of what a player needs apart from just training, which other academies might not provide.

“It is always good to have a greater number of academies. This will just better the badminton standards in the country. There will be competition from other academies, but that doesn’t bother me.

“Playing on the professional circuit for such a long time, I know what a player requires apart from training. From proper diet to mental conditioning, to access to physios, all this will be provided here. I want to provide the best environment for budding players,” Jwala added. 

The Hyderabadi who has always been vocal about how doubles badminton in India does not get enough attention, vouches that it will be given equal importance as singles, if not more.

“Certainly the focus will be on doubles. But we will give equal importance to doubles as well as singles. I would like to see a lot of good doubles’ talent come out of our academies,” she concluded.
madhav@newindianexpress.com

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