The Shuttle,’ Not Operational! Row over Gopichand Badminton High Performance Centre in Odisha

The Gopichand Badminton High Performance Centre- 'The Shuttle', located at the Kalinga Stadium complex in Bhubaneswar, has found itself embroiled in controversy. Despite nine months having passed since its grand inauguration, the state-of-the-art facility is yet to open its doors to aspiring badminton talents.

Questions are now being raised as to why the world-class stadium has not become operational. Why has Pullela Gopichand, who inaugurated the centre, not visited Odisha since the opening? Why has the Sports Department remained silent on the matter?

Athletes and coaches have begun voicing their concerns, demanding that the badminton centre be made functional at the earliest.

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At the inauguration ceremony on December 12 last year, held at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, badminton legend Pullela Gopichand had stated that the facility would help shape the nation’s future champions.

It was widely expected that the world-class centre would provide opportunities to many promising badminton players from Odisha and help them progress in the sport. However, nine months on, the high-performance facility remains non-operational, sparking dissatisfaction among players and coaches alike. 

"We will get more opportunities to hone our skills if the Badminton High Performance Centre becomes operational. We have only one badminton court here. However, there are so many players. Hence, we are getting a few facilities. When the Badminton High Performance Centre becomes operational, we will get as many as eight courts and more coaches," rued Sushree Sibangi Rout, a budding shuttler.

"I also don't know why the Badminton High Performance Centre is not becoming operational. It's a world-class centre. However, it is not operational yet, even nine months after the inauguration. I request that the state government make it operational for our players as soon as possible. Our players are now performing well, and they have got rankings at the national level. If the centre becomes operational, they will get good opportunities. If Gopichand comes here for coaching, Odisha will definitely produce international shuttlers," said badminton coach Chittaranjan Satpathy.

An iconic stadium, designed in the shape of a badminton shuttlecock, was built as a joint initiative of the State Government’s Sports Department, the Pullela Gopichand Foundation, and the Dalmia Bharat Group. The facility was inaugurated in the presence of Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Majhi, Assam Chief Minister and President of the Badminton Association of India Himanta Biswa Sarma, with the aim of identifying young sporting talent from the state and grooming them into international-level players under the direct mentorship of Pullela Gopichand.

However, the High-Performance Centre (HPC), popularly known as The Shuttle, has yet to fulfil its intended purpose. Questions are now being raised as to why the facility has not been made operational.

According to sources, Gopichand, who had chosen Odisha as his 'second home', has not visited the state since the inauguration. Moreover, it is being reported that certain clauses of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed prior to the construction of 'The Shuttle' between the Sports Department, Dalmia Bharat Group, and the Pullela Gopichand Foundation have not been accepted by the current government. This has created obstacles in making the facility fully functional.

So far, the State Sports Department has not issued any response on the matter. Spread across 77,000 square feet area in the heart of the capital, the iconic High Performance Centre has been built by the Dalmia Bharat Group at a cost of Rs 75 crore. The facility houses eight air-conditioned courts and provides residential arrangements for 22 boys and 14 girls. In addition, the centre features a nutrition cafeteria along with dedicated spaces for yoga and relaxation.