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There is great news for badminton lovers in the kingdom with plans to set up an academy shortly, writes Gopal Nambiar.
Initial steps have been taken following the recent visit of former All-England champion and Indian badminton great Prakash Padukone to Bahrain to explore the local talent - both Bahraini and expatriate - as well as possible venues for the academy.
The Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy (PPBA) has two centres, one in the southern city Bangalore - his home city - and the other in the western city of Pune.
Padukone said that he met BBSF officials as well as General Organisation of Youth and Sports Director-General Shaikh Salman bin Isa bin Khalifa Al Khalifa and has put up a proposal for the academy last week. "Officials of the BBSF were very receptive to the idea of setting up an academy," said Padukone.
Padukone, who visited the kingdom at the invitation of The Indian School chairman Dr PV Radhakrishna Pillai, said that whatever he had seen of the local talent had prompted him to accept the idea of an academy. "I was impressed by what I have seen of youngsters on the island - both locals and expats -and I think with the right coaching and grooming they can come up to world standards. I am also keen on promoting the game in the Gulf and the Middle East where the sport is not so popular.
"If the academy is set up and I find talented players who can reach greater heights then we can take them to my main centre in Bangalore for advanced training and coaching so that they are ready to face international competition," added the 53-year-old Padukone, who has 30 students at his Bangalore centre and 15 at his Pune centre.
The Indian School badminton coach and national team trainer CM Junith said a lot of Bahraini youngsters have taken to the game lately and have shown potential which encouraged him to get in touch with Padukone and bring up the idea of the academy, which would be the first of its kind outside India.
Padukone, who was honoured by the Indian government with the Arjuna Award in 1972 and the Padma Shri in 1982, said he would be visiting Bahrain again in 2-3 months time and hopes to finalise plans for the academy.
Padukone was accompanied during his visit by close friend and top British coach Tom John, 57, who is of Indian origin and has coached the national squads of England and Portugal as well as developed the game in France and Italy. He has been involved with the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy since its formation and was also instrumental in opening the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy in Hyderabad (Gopichand was the second Indian to win the All-England Championship).
Padukone enjoyed two stints as coach of the Indian national team in 1993 and 1996. He lives in Bangalore with wife Ujjala and has two daughters, one of who is well-known Bollywood actress Deepika. The other daughter, Anisha, is a grade 12 student and is a keen golfer, who plays in the Indian amateur circuit.
