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The legendary Prakash Padukone's sports management company, in partnership with the National Sports Club of India (NSCI), launched a badminton coaching program in Mumbai on Tuesday.
The coaching and playing facility at the NSCI was inaugurated by Padukone, a former All England Open champion, in the presence of club secretary Atul Maru and veteran badminton player Pradeep Gandhe.
The partnership between PSM and NSCI will aim to make Prakash Padukone Badminton Coaching Program as a 'Centre of Excellence' in the future for this part of India.
The NSCI has revamped its existing infrastructure with state-of-the art badminton courts and other related facilities for this program.
Speaking on the occasion, Padukone said, "Badminton has been a very popular sport, not just in Mumbai but in Maharashtra as well."
"Initially we will start off with three levels of coaching, which is the beginner, intermediate and advance and then the main aim of PSM is to standardise coaching across centres," the 66-year-old Bengaluru based former player added.
"We have already started a coach education programme and we have trained more than 450 coaches, both online and offline in the last two years," added the legend.
Asked whether they could take help from former players like Gandhe, Padukone said, "We will definitely make use of all the ex-players also, depending on the availability of their time.
"We will have our own coaches but we definitely move on to have an advisory panel, because Pradeep (Gandhe) has been a member here for a long time, so we will definitely use his expertise also going forward."
NSCI secretary Maru, on his part, said, "...we have partnered with the PSM to give the great platform for coaching, so that is the vision."