Saina Nehwal will train under former badminton star and coach U. Vimal Kumar at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy (PPBA) here for two weeks.
According to a PPBA press-release, the decision was arrived at after discussions with national badminton coach P. Gopichand, who played a stellar role in Saina’s progress.
“This is to inform all Indian badminton fans that, after discussions with Saina and national badminton coach Gopichand, it has been decided that Saina will train with Vimal at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy for two weeks as part of her training for the Asian Games,” the release stated.
The presence of former World No. 1 Prakash Padukone, who will don the mentor’s role, will also benefit Saina, it added. “The Indian badminton fans will be well aware that, over the years, the hard work put in by Gopichand and Saina is responsible for Saina reaching the highest level of World Badminton. The proposed two-week stint in Bangalore is a continuation of the same process so that Saina can succeed at the highest level and continue to bring laurels for India.”