Team Goemkarponn
Panaji: In a landmark initiative for Goan sports, the Goa Badminton Association (GBA) has announced a strategic collaboration with the Padukone School of Badminton (PSB), founded by Indian badminton legend Shri Prakash Padukone. The partnership aims to establish a structured, long-term ecosystem for badminton in the state, spanning grassroots to elite levels.
The announcement was made at a press conference in Panaji, attended by GBA officials, PSB representatives, and media personnel. GBA President Manoj Patil described the collaboration as a milestone coinciding with the Association’s 60th anniversary, emphasizing that the focus would be on identifying talent from schools and panchayats, establishing district academies, and creating a State-level High Performance Centre.
Shri Prakash Padukone welcomed the initiative, noting it as PSB’s first partnership with a state association. He highlighted PSB’s expertise in talent identification, coach education, and program design, stressing the importance of structured, gradual training to nurture players from an early age. Padukone also praised Goa’s sports infrastructure and outlined plans to train and certify local coaches, ensuring proper fundamentals are taught across all levels.
Patil reiterated GBA’s vision of embedding a badminton culture in every school and village through initiatives like ‘Shuttle Time’ and structured talent pathways. GBA Secretary Praveen Shenoy detailed the operational roadmap, including deployment of portable badminton kits, indoor and outdoor training programs, district and state-level competitions, and advanced programs incorporating AI-based performance analysis.
The long-term goal is to establish a full-fledged State Badminton Academy in Goa, supported by GBA, PSB, and the Sports Authority of Goa. The event concluded with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, marking a significant step toward transforming Goa into a hub of badminton excellence and a potential model for other states.
