Centre of Excellence for Badminton to be set up in Guwahati

GUWAHATI, Sept 8: Guwahati will march one step forward on its mission to become the sports capital of India as the city is all set to start a National Centre of Excellence for Badminton. If everything goes according to the plan then the centre may start function very shortly in the city.

Badminton Association of India (BAI) has decided to establish five National Centers of Excellence for Badminton in different parts of the country and they approved Assam Badminton Academy at Kanaklata Indoor Stadium in the city as one of the centre in the North East.

Talking to The Sentinel the secretary of the Assam Badminton Association Omar Rashid said, "It's a huge project and if we start the National Centre of Excellence for Badminton in the city our players would be highly benefitted. All modern training equipment along with coaches and other experts would be available in our centre which will be at par to the international level."

At present Assam Badminton Association is using three courts at the Kanaklata Indoor Stadium to run their own academy. However for the National Centre of Excellence atleast five courts are required as the number of players would be increased. The Assam Badminton Association approached to the Sports Department with request to hand over the remaining two courts at the Kanaklata Indoor stadium to them.

However a section of former players and guardians are upset with the decision of Assam Badminton Association to start the Centre of Excellence at the Kanaklata Stadium. According to them it would be better if Assam Badminton Association could do it somewhere else as there is already crisis of training centre in the city.

When contacted a former state shuttler on condition of anonymity said, "It's good news that there would be a centre of Excellence in Guwahati and we welcomed the move of Assam Badminton Association to bring it in Guwahati. But I personally feel that the Centre should begin some other places in the city. Kanaklata Indoor Stadium is one of the few training centres which are situated inside the city and it helps young players and their guardians to travel less. I have learnt that a separate training centre may start at the Deshbhakta Tarun Ram Phookan Indoor Stadium and the players, who are now training under Board of Sports, Assam might be shifted there. But I am in doubt whether it might give permanent solution."

Meanwhile talking to The Sentinel the renowned shuttler of the state Mallika Barua Sarma admitted that setting up of National Centre of Excellence for Badminton is encouraging news for sports in Assam. "National Centre of Excellence will provide huge facilities to our players and it may change the scenario of the game in the State."

She also added: "The only problem is that young shutters who are training under Board of Sports, Assam, at the Kanaklata Indoor Stadium, need to be shifted somewhere else. I feel the officials of the State Sports Department and Assam Badminton Association should seat together and sort out the solution as we can't lose the project just because of space. I feel, Deshbkata Tarun Ram Phookan Indoor Stadium at the RG Baruah Sports Complex might be one of the good options and regular trainees may be shifted to there. It will be a good gesture from the part of Assam Badminton Association if they take little initiative and provide different helps time to time in the form of coaches, trainers, nutritionist etc to those players."