Nimmagadda Prasad, an integral part of PV Sindhu-Gopichand’s glory

While PV Sindhu has made history at the Tokyo Olympics and is being looked up to as a huge source of inspiration by millions of youngsters, her trainer Pullela Gopichand has also been talked about by the commentariat and sports enthusiasts. However, there is another individual who has to be thanked at a time of national glory. He is Nimmagadda Prasad, a well-known serial entrepreneur and industrialist.

In the 2000s, when Gopichand dreamed of establishing a badminton academy, he was shown the door by prospective donors. Nobody wanted to encourage badminton, which everyone believed is a non-glamorous sport with no spectators in India. This is when Gopichand approached Nimmagadda Prasad for funding.

The Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy eventually came into existence as a premier badminton training facility in Hyderabad in 2008 thanks in no small measure to Prasad’s vision. He believed that the academy will go a long way in bringing glory to the country. The Pullela Gopichand Nimmagadda Badminton Academy has since scripted history in the history of Indian sports.

Prasad gave Gopichand Rs 2 Cr in the first tranche of funding. In the next tranche, he gave him another Rs 3 Cr. Not just Sindhu but also Saina Nehwal, Srikanth Kidambi, Parupalli Kashyap, HS Prannoy, Sai Praneeth, among others, have received training here.

Recently, Gopichand said that companies were not ready to invest their CSR funds in sporting academies in the past. Thanks to the vision of committed individuals like Prasad, who thought ahead of the times, the former badminton player could implement his dream.