For all those corporates and individuals in the vicinity of LB Nagar, the Bhaskar Babu-Li Ning Badminton Academy has offered an opportunity to try their hand in badminton as it has been decided in principle to throw open the 12 courts for them under the pay-and-play scheme at specific timings during weekends.
This Academy may not be a high-profile one as yet but certainly not low on intensity, commitment, passion or world class facilities as about 80-odd young talent assemble daily to fine-tune their skills under the watchful eyes of experienced, former SAI coach U. Bhaskar Babu.
Reason? “With the dual objective of scouting hidden talent and also raising funds,” says the honest coach.
Payback time
Bhaskar Babu set up this Academy with the specific intent of giving back to the game from which he cannot stay away despite retiring with distinction from SAI a couple of years ago.
But, apparently, in need of more funds to ensure that the core team pumps in more money to keep improving the facilities, Bhaskar Babu is clearly looking at new avenues to raise funds.
“To take the Academy to the next level, which is obviously our big goal, we need to raise funds to meet the growing demands of the increasing number of players keen to join us and the increasing costs,” he says.
Good facilities
Given the ambience and the excellent facilities already available, the former SAI coach is confident of making it big in this regard too.“We are aware that all we need is to produce one or two big players to change the destiny of the Academy itself. And, we are consciously working and glad that many youngsters are reaching the knock-out phases in national-level tournaments in different age groups consistently,” says Bhaskar Babu.
The seasoned coach is confident of realising his dream of making his Academy one of the important destinations for badminton training in the country.
