Pullela Gopichand joins GoSports Foundation Board

MUMBAI: Indian badminton coach Pullela Gopichand has joined former cricket stalwart Rahul Dravid and ace rifle shooter Abhinav Bindra on the advisory board of non-profit GoSports Foundation.

As a part of the advisory board, the former All England men's singles champion will oversee the GoSports Foundation's badminton development programmes, a media release said today.

The foundation's badminton development programmes include projects for early talent identification and development, education programme for coaches, as well as knowledge based workshops for young athletes.

Talented athletes in the age group of 9-13 years will to be identified and trained at various centres of excellence across the country.

Besides, a robust curriculum would be offered to badminton coaches based on the latest international best practices, the release said.

In addition, knowledge based workshops would be conducted for athletes, coaches, support staff, as well as parents of athletes and Gopichand is to personally oversee the conduct of these programmes, the release added.

"I'm excited to partner with the GoSports Foundation to execute these programmes in the coming years. I'm confident that together we will be able to design and implement structured programmes for the overall development of the sport in India," said Gopichand.

"We are committed to nurturing talent for the future, and with the right framework and knowledge, we are confident that India can be a superpower in world badminton," he added.

Managing Trustee Nandan Kamath welcomed Gopichand. "We are delighted that Pullela Gopichand has accepted our invitation to join our Advisory Board. GoSports Foundation's mission to empower India's future Olympians aligns with his vision for Indian badminton, and we are excited to be part of his team and have the opportunity to execute his vision for Indian badminton.

"Our Advisory Board forms our think tank and we are fortunate to have the guidance and support of passionate individuals looking to make a lasting impact on Indian sport," he added.