Must have separate camp for doubles: Padukone

India should consider having a separate camp for doubles badminton players to improve the standard in this format, feels legendary shuttler Prakash Padukone.
"My suggestion to Badminton Association of India (BAI) and government would be to consider having a separate camp exclusively for doubles players, so that in the next 3-5 years we can improve the standard of all the three events (men's, women's and mixed doubles)," Padukone told reporters after the announcement of the Tata Open International Challenge.
The former badminton player pointed out that the format has been struggling, and a separate training camp and coach will help improving it.

"It is very evident that in the played (doubles) events we are not doing that well. I had suggested a few years back that we should have a separate camp only for the doubles players, in a separate place with a separate coach. We probably need a little funding from the government. We have a coach who looks after both singles and doubles but I think majority of his time is spent in training singles players," he said.
The Arjuna awardee further said that the players first try their luck in the singles format and if they don't succeed then they turn their attention to doubles.

"Right now because there is no separate camp and the focus is so much on singles, even though somebody's pet event is doubles, they will still play singles. Right now what is happening is that if you are not good in singles or if you don't make it then only you go for doubles. That should not be the case.
"Some people are naturally inclined towards doubles but they also play singles to try. If they don't make it by the age of 19 or 20 then they go for doubles. May be at the age of 9-10 if you have a good quality, like in cricket at a very young age you specialise. The camp should not be combined with singles. If it is in the same place, the focus will always be on singles," said Padukone.