National Badminton Coaching Camps Kick Off Ahead of Major Tournaments

National Coaching Camps Launched for Badminton Players

New Delhi, May 5: The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) has approved INR 1.67 crore for three national coaching camps that commenced on April 10 in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Guwahati. These camps are strategically timed just weeks before the Thomas Cup 2026, uniting the nation’s elite badminton players in a high-performance training environment.

During the recent Thomas and Uber Cup held from April 24 to May 3 in Horsens, Denmark, the Indian men's team secured a bronze medal.

The training camps are providing an opportunity for prominent players like Lakshya Sen, newcomer Ayush Shetty, Kidambi Srikanth, and the doubles team of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty to collaborate, refine their strategies, and enhance their competitive edge ahead of the team championship.

These sessions are taking place at the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy in Hyderabad, the Centre for Badminton Excellence in Bengaluru, and the National Centre for Excellence Badminton Academy in Guwahati.

As per the announcement, the camp in Hyderabad includes 13 male and 9 female players, while Bengaluru hosts 5 male and 5 female players, and Guwahati has 4 male and 1 female player. The training will continue until June 30.

Under the leadership of chief national coach Pullela Gopichand, the camps are incorporating foreign coaches, physiotherapists, trainers, and analysts to foster a competitive atmosphere.

These camps also involve the Uber Cup team, featuring Olympic medalist PV Sindhu, Treesa Jolly, Tanisha Crasto, and others. The primary goal is to prepare the Indian Badminton Team for the upcoming Asian Games 2026, the Olympic Games 2028, and various international competitions organized by the Badminton World Federation and Badminton Asia.