After conquering Tokyo, Sindhu to focus on her badminton academy

Vijayawada: Tokyo bronze medallist and two-time Olympic champion P.V Sindhu said works for the PV Sindhu Badminton Academy which will come up in Vizag city will commence soon. The Academy will give best training to budding shuttlers, said Sindhu who has plans to churn out world-class players from her proposed badminton academy.

Sindhu received a queen's welcome as she arrived in Vijayawada city after winning a bronze medal at the ongoing 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She visited the Kanaka Durga Temple in the city on Friday and also met Chief Minister Y.S Jagan Mohan Reddy. The reigning world badminton champion had a big smile on her face. Sindhu and her father P.V Ramana said work on the academy will start after they get the land.

It may be recalled that the Andhra Pradesh government had alienated two acres of land on 17 June this year for the Academy. It will be developed in two phases and each phase will cost around Rs. 5 crore. However, it will not be a money-making institution for the family.

Stating that Sindhu never intended to make it a commercial venture, Ramana said her aim is to train underprivileged children to play at the national and international level and help them choose sports as a career. "We will train five to six children from poor backgrounds free of cost and charge a reasonable fee from others," he added.

Minister for sport and youth affairs Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao said the state government will support Sindhu in creating a top-class facility.

The state government has announced Rs. 30 lakh cash prize to Sindhu for her achievement.

The chief executive officer of Andhra Pradesh Badminton Association, Chukka Srinivasa Rao, said the Academy needs world-class coaches to make it a worthy institution. "I am sure Sindhu is capable of roping in the best coaches to make her Academy number one in India and may be among the top academies in the world," Mr. Rao said.

A national-level player himself and presently working as assistant commissioner of police, Mr. Rao said if the Badminton Association of India organized national-level training camps at any level, the Academy would be in the international limelight.

This would also make the Academy the epicentre of badminton in Andhra Pradesh and draw talented children not only from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana but also from Odisha, Chattisgarh and central Indian states.