Gopichand inaugurated sports complex at Bennett University

A Times Group initiative, Bennett University, has been disclosed its state-of-the-art sports complex at its Greater Noida campus. Dronacharya awardee and national chief coach Pullela Gopichand had inaugurated the sports space at the Bennett University campus.

The new state-of-the-art sports complex consists of three squash, badminton and tennis courts with a swimming pool, gymnasium, indoor games and a multi-purpose arena. Basketball, football, and volleyball playing areas to be included in the coming year.

Vineet Jain, Bennett University Chancellor and Managing Director of the Times Group, said, “It is an honour to have an icon of Gopichand's stature, who has single-handedly turned our nation into a badminton superpower, here to inaugurate our sports facility. There is no greater inspiration in world badminton today than Gopichand and the new Indian stars he has mentored.”

“I am very happy to see this kind of sports facility. Very few people in our country will have access to such beautiful infrastructure, and I would like to congratulate the entire team behind the execution of this wonderful project,” said Gopichand.

Gopichand is the first shuttler after Prakash Padukone to have won the All England after two decades and has turned India into badminton powerhouse through his dedicated services as coach. Under the same roof of his Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy, Gopi has trained World No. 3 Olympic silver medallist PV Sindhu, Four 2017 superseries titles winner Kidambi Srikanth, and World no. 10 Olympics bronze medallist Saina Nehwal.

Recruiting foreign coaches - Tan Kim Her and Mulyo Handoyo - in his academy, shuttlers such as Parupalli Kashyap, B Sai Praneeth, HS Prannoy, Gurusai Dutt, N Sikki Reddy, Pranav Chopra, B Sumeeth Reddy, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Rituparna Das, Sameer and Sourabh Verma and young Siril Verma came into the limelight with the biggest victories.

Graced by planting a tree, the ceremony is followed by some captivating rallies between the Gopichand and some student of the university in the newly opened sports block. It proved a fitting closure to the inauguration of Bennett University's sports complex and the students relished the opportunity to play with the Indian badminton legend.