Shuttle by Dalmia Group, a Badminton High-Performance Centre, was inaugurated at the Kalinga Stadium Complex in Bhubaneswar on Thursday.
The facility spread across 77,000 sq. ft, is the result of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), signed by the Dalmia Bharat Group, the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy, and the Government of Odisha in 2018.
It is a seven-storey building, housing eight badminton courts, a seating arena across these courts that can accommodate 400 people, including lodging facilities for 50 students, a rooftop recreation center along with a 360-degree view of the city.
Puneet Dalmia, Managing Director, Dalmia Bharat, spoke about India’s impending bid for the 2036 Olympics and made a bold prediction. “I promise you that in the 2036 Olympics, one player from this academy will get one gold medal,” Dalmia addressed Himanta Biswa Sarma, President, the Badminton Association of India.
Sarma, who is also the Chief Minister of Assam, asked for more support for his shuttlers. “Every sport like football and hockey gets support from the governments and the public. But our (badminton) players, despite the glory they bring, haven’t got the sponsors and support they deserve. Badminton has a lot of potential. Like Odisha government is promoting hockey, I hope it also promotes badminton.”
“It’s just not a beautiful building, but an aspiration for a lot of youngsters, to thousands across the country. It’s a symbol of the badminton court and the shuttlecock that will help build champions,” Gopichand, the current chief India coach, said at the inauguration ceremony.
The outer complex is occupied with a ‘Sports Walk Of Fame’, paying tribute to Indian Olympians and coaches.
The building was constructed in a sustainable manner using low-carbon cement. It contains a rainwater harvesting facility for recharging groundwater to help the environment.