PADMA Bhushan awardee and chief national coach of the Indian badminton team Pullela Gopichand, addressed a packed audience on ‘Play. Pause. Rise Again: Becoming a Champion, Staying a Human’, under the Orange City Literature Festival’s (OCLF) Knowledge Series at Banyan Hall, Chitnavis Centre, Civil Lines, on Thursday. The event was organised by Raisoni Foundation in collaboration with Chitnavis Centre, Maharashtra Badminton Association (MBA), Nagpur District Badminton Association (NDBA), and supported by Arundhati Arun Badminton Academy and Raisoni Education.

 

Gopichand inspired young and old with his straight talk on sport, struggle and spirit right from the bottom of his heart. Only the second Indian to have won the prestigious All England title, Gopichand started his talk, moderated by Dr Mrinalini Naik, Project Director, Raisoni Foundation, from the early days. “I initially wanted to become a cricketer, badminton came into life by chance. My first coach Hamid Husain did not teach me how to play badminton ... he taught me how to love the sport. It is essential that children and young athletes are made to fall in love with the game, and not just play it as a routine,” said Gopichand. Although sports was everything to him, Gopi did not see it as a career option.

 

“The journey was filled with challenges, including serious health issues like allergic sinus, which cost me matches at national level tourneys. Still, passion for the game kept me going. Stepping into the badminton court always gave me new energy and purpose,” he recalled. Gopichand spoke about the importance of support from family, friends, and the media. His journey was possible only because of the sacrifices made by his loved ones. He considered his life a blessing. At the outset, the event was inaugurated with lighting of the traditional lamp at the hands of Gopichand, Sunil Raisoni, Shreyas Raisoni, Kundatai Vijaykar, Mangesh Kashikar, SR Arun, Arundhati and Sanjay Jog. Sunil Raisoni delivered the welcome address and the entire team honoured Gopichand with a shawl and a memento. Shweta Shelgaonkar conducted the proceedings while Shreyas Raisoni proposed a vote of thanks.