KUALA LUMPUR – After their historic Thomas Cup success last year, India are optimistic of repeating the winning feat in 2023’s team events – setting their sights on the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championship (BAMTC) and Sudirman Cup titles.
Based on the country’s performance in many prestigious tournaments last year, including the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, chief national coach Pullela Gopichand is confident that India can look forward to more glory this year.
The former All England champion, who has been coaching the Indian national team since 2004, is highly hopeful that his charges will approach greater glory.
“2023 will be an action-filled season for the badminton teams in general with the Asian Games, Sudirman Cup, and the beginning of the Olympics qualification cycle (in May).
“As for our target, we hope to repeat the performance we achieved in the 2022 Thomas Cup in upcoming tournaments, mainly the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championship in Dubai and Sudirman Cup,” he said.
India clinched their maiden Thomas Cup – the World Cup of men’s badminton – after beating defending champions Indonesia 3-0 in the final in Bangkok last May, while at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, India emerged as the best nation in badminton, winning three gold, one silver, and two bronze medals.
The BAMTC is taking place at the Dubai Exhibition Centre in the United Arab Emirates from February 14-19, while the Sudirman Cup is scheduled in May at the Suzhou Olympic Sports Centre in China.
Gopichand was met after receiving an eight-member delegation of the International Scientific Committee on Exercise Medicine (Iscem) from Malaysia, headed by its chief executive Prof Muhammad Lee at Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy (PGBA), a badminton training facility founded by the former shuttler in Hyderabad, Telangana, India, recently.
On another note, Gopichand said a new facility comprising six badminton courts, a sports science centre, a swimming pool, 40 rooms of accommodation for players, a nutrition cafe, and a 200-m running track will be inaugurated on March 24 to complement the existing facilities within his academy.
PGBA was opened in 2008 and is now one of the top coaching institutes in the country, where star players like Saina Nehwal, P.V. Sindhu, Srikanth Kidambi, and Parupalli Kashyap, among others, have all excelled in the sport after training at the academy.
During the meeting, the ISCEM delegation also extended an invite to Gopichand to attend the 6th World Conference on Excercise Medicine (WCEM) to be held in Hyderabad from September 2-4.
For updates on WCEM 2023, please visit www.wcem.com.my or [email protected]. – Bernama, February 15, 2023
