Professional badminton is all set to enter Dandamudi Rajagopala Rao Municipal Indoor Stadium (DRRMC) as a Memorandum of Understating (MoU) involving Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC), Andhra Pradesh Badminton Association (APBA), Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy (PGBA) and Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP) was signed, and now the government all set to issue a GO after the necessary clearance by the Principal Secretary.
Reacting to a plea made by Vijayawada East MLA Gadde Rammohan in bringing back badminton in a big way back to the city, the Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu asked SAAP officials to look into the matter paving the way for the MoU.
This residential camp will be operative for four hours — from 9 a.m. to 12 noon and from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
ADVERTISEMENT
The regular members will play before 9 a.m. in the morning and will come after 7 p.m. in the evening.
“We will pay 50 per cent of the power bill, pay salaries to the coaches and supply equipment to the players. The stadium will be taken care of by the corporation. The players will pay their monthly fees to the corporation. National chief coach Pullela Gopichand will play an important role in honing the skills of the residential players,” said senior badminton administrator K. Ch Punnaiah Chowdary.
“This residential camp is similar to NSTC (National Sports Talent Contest) scheme of SAI,” he said.
ADVERTISEMENT
He said the SAAP will take care of the boarding of players and corporation will provide the accommodation.
“Selection trials will be held to select the best of players for the residential camp,” Mr. Punnaiah added.
After many years of lull, active badminton is making its re-entry into the stadium which once witnessed a beehive activity under the former Sports Authority of India coach P.U. Bhaskar Babu took care of the coaching in a systematic manner.