Gopichand Foundation signs MOU with Odisha Govt

The Pullela Gopichand Badminton Foundation (PGMF) today signed an MOU with Government of Odisha with an aim to nurture and groom badminton talents in the state.

The MoU was signed between the Sports and Youth Services Department and Pullela Gopichand Badminton Foundation here at the Secretariat in the presence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Sports Minister Chandra Sarathi Behera and P Gopichand.

It is an honour for us to be associated with the Govt. of Odisha and we are aligned to their vision to keep producing world class talent," Gopichand said.

"The trajectory of Badminton as a sport in India has hit new highs in the recent past, with top players like Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu winning major honours at regular intervals.

"The academy in Odisha will help in keeping the momentum up, and we hope to nurture great talent right from the grass roots to the international levels, he added.

The PGMF will be driving the Badminton academy at Odisha and will be responsible for providing technical support and the overall development of the sport in the State.

Commenting on the association, Patnaik said, Badminton is one of the focus areas in sports for Odisha. Under the tutelage and guidance of PGMF, I am confident that we will be able to nurture and groom world class talents of the future.

"I want Odisha to win Olympic Medals for India, and we are all committed to make this into a reality.