Sports to Come Back After Pandemic at All Levels: Pullela Gopichand
Hyderabad, July 3 (Maxim News): Many careers last for 30 to 40 years. But a sporting career lasts just for 10 years. We have lost one year due to a pandemic. But the good news is that sports are coming back in full swing at all levels after the pandemic said Pullela Gopichand, Badminton Champion and Chief National Coach while addressing a press conference along with Ms. Uma Chigurupati, Chairperson of FICCI Ladies Organisation, before the beginning of his talk with FLO members in the city at ITC Kohenur at Madhapur on Saturday.
Pandemic disrupted the careers of many sports personnel, but fortunately, they are good at handling setbacks, Pullela Gopichand said. When you are at the peak of your career, the career doesn’t last beyond a couple of years. The pandemic disrupted the short careers of many sports personnel. It is depressing. But fortunately for sports personnel defeats, setbacks, failures are part and parcel of their life. This has come to their forte now. It has given time for them to work on their weaknesses. Catch up with what they always longed for he said.
We are building six new courts at the Academy at Gachibowli thanks to the support from Kotak Organisation, who are supporting this venture. We are also building a Sports Science Center and a Coach Development Center to take up the coaching pan India as there is abundant talent, Mr Gopichand Announced.
Preparations for the Olympics are in full swing. The Central Government provided personal coaches. The state government has opened Gachibowli stadium with facilities for us to practice and we thank them. We are confident of better performance, he said.
The Tokyo Olympics, delayed for a year because of the coronavirus pandemic, are now scheduled which is a big boost to all the sports personnel, he said.
He was the chief guest at FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO) at its first Ground Event in the FLO calendar year.
Pullela Gopichand was invited by FLO to address its gathering on “The Dhrona Factor—Sculpting the Arjunas”.
He interacted with the media before the session with FLO members.
At the session which was attended by over 150 members, Mr Gopichand spoke about his journey, struggles he faced as a player, coach, later setting up the academy, physical literacy he propagated, his interaction with kids during the pandemic through online coaching. He was in conversation with Ms Uma Chigurupati, Chairperson of FLO Hyderabad
Speaking about the inspiration behind setting up the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy he said, “ I had come up in the sport so well without much support system, experts, coaches what the current generation of players have. In those days not many national players used to be there from Andhra Pradesh. Nobody took us so seriously at the nationals.
Speaking about this generation of players, how different from his generation, Gopichand said yesteryear’s generation used to consider going to a big sporting event was itself an achievement. But today’s doesn’t find a kick in going there unless they perform, win and return with the medal. That is the difference I can see in the current generation. (Maxim News)
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