Prakash Padukone Sees India's Future Champions Emerging From Smaller Towns, Stresses Need For Stronger Grassroots Coaching

Former Indian badminton champion Prakash Padukone envisions future stars coming from smaller towns and cities, emphasizing the need for enhanced grassroots coaching. During the signing of an MoU between the Padukone School of Badminton and the International Institute of Sports Management, Padukone pointed out the surge in badminton's popularity nationwide and stressed the critical importance of bolstering grassroots development and refining coaching standards.

Smaller cities becoming talent hotspots "Previously, the potential existed in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, but a lack of infrastructure, coaching, and equipment stifled progress," Padukone remarked. However, the landscape is evolving as improved facilities and wider access to resources empower young athletes from smaller towns to chase their dreams.

"I believe this trend will continue. Our future champions will likely emerge from smaller towns and districts, building their initial careers there before moving to larger cities with superior amenities," he added. Prioritizing grassroots development Padukone asserts that the emphasis should now shift towards fortifying the foundation of the sport rather than solely focusing on elite athletes and international accolades.

He advocates for encouraging more children to take up badminton while ensuring they receive proper training from the outset. Drawing from a recent Under-15 and Under-17 tournament with approximately 4,000 participants that required 10 days of competition and 22 courts in the first five days, Padukone illustrates the sport's burgeoning popularity and the scale of the challenge confronting India's coaching system.

Urgent need to improve coaching standards Padukone highlighted a significant gap in coaching quality and expressed a pressing need to address this issue. While acknowledging the current state of coaching as adequate, he believes much more must be done to elevate the standards. He also stressed that players' development cannot solely depend on their coaches.

He discussed the habit of some young players frequently shifting academies following losses, often attributing their setbacks to their coaches rather than self-analysis.