4 January 2002

YONEX FUNDING BADMINTON ACADEMY IN DELHI

From Jal Khambata

NEW DELHI: Yonex, producers of badminton and other sports gears, are funding establishment of a first class badminton academy in Delhi in coordination with the Government-run Sports Authority of India (SAI) under a 5-year project involving its investment of Rs ten million.

The SAI is already running a small academy in its indoor stadium Indra Prastha Stadium which will be re-christened as SAI-Yonex Badminton Academy, according to academy chief Roque Dias. He made the announcement while giving a send-off to five of his trainees for participation in the senior badminton nationals being held in Lucknow from Saturday.

Dias pointed out that the contingent going to Lucknow included Punjab's Sachin Ratti who has excelled during the 16-month long training in the academy that helped him shock All-England Badminton champion Gopi Chand (Andhra) in the all-India badminton tournament in Udaipur last month. The coaches providing the training to Ratti and a dozen other upcoming players at the academy included the husband-wife team of former national champions Madhumita Bisht and Vikram Singh Bisht. END