Even as all the eyes were focused on the women's singles final of badminton at the Rio Olympics, a part of the minds of the million of lovers of the game in India was also riveted to Hyderabad, the home of the famous Gopichand's Badminton Academy. It was here Pusarla Venkata Sindhu had under gone a grueling training and practice and groomed under the watchful tutelage of the All England Champion Pullela Gopichand.
For the Academy, where a large number of spectators including Sindhu's parents and other family members have gathered to watch tonight's final, it will not be first celebration on one of its wards winning an Olympic medal.
Academy had experiences a similar joy four years ago when another of its player Saina Nehwal had won a bronze at london Olympics. It was a feat which fired the imagination and gave hope to thousands of young Indians and bringing many more talented and promising young boys and girls along with their parents to the door of Dronacharya award winner, guru of Indian badminton Gopichand.
Sindhu's spectacular success clearly proved that the success of Saina was no flash in the pan and the academy meant business when it came to coach and train the youngsters.
Though subsequently Saina Nehwal moved away from Gopicand and his academy saying the rush of 150 other players at the academy and Gopi's role as the Indian national coach for badminton was not leaving sufficient time for him to give personal attention to her, Sindhu and Srikant were among a large number of other new players who emerged as the new stars on the horizon. The location of the Academy in the midst of the sprawling Hitech City has turned Hyderabad in to launching pad of many new talents in the game of shuttle.
After his historic win in All England Championship in 2001, Gopichand had decided to don the role of a coach for the young kids and started planning first of its kind Badminton Academy. While the allocation of five acres of land by the state government gave a big push to the plans, raising the required funds of Rs 13 crore for building and other infrastructure had become such a big challenge that Gopi had to mortgage his house for Rs 3 crore.
Industrialist Nimmagadda Prasad was the only guardian who came forward to chip in Rs 5 crore on the promise that Gopichand should bring an Olympic Medak to the country. Having fulfilled his promise in 2012 itself, now is the time for bonus and many more laurels in future.