Nagpur: Former Indian badminton stars SR Arun Vishnu and Arundhati Pantawane wish to bring vibrant badminton culture to Nagpur. Both the former India Number One players, who have been coaching at the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy in Hyderabad for some time now, have decided to start a new chapter in Nagpur.
The couple is all set to launch state-of-the-art Arundhati -Arun Badminton Academy (AABA) in Besa on June 1.They have joined hands with Nayse family’s Nirmal Sports Academy and promise to give their best to improve badminton standard in the region. AABA, a dedicated badminton training centre, will be the first professional badminton academy in Nagpur where the trainees will be coached by a team of experienced coaches.
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29 May 2025
“With a vision to train athletes from grassroots to elite international levels, AABA offers world class coaching, advanced facilities, and comprehensive training programmes. Be it a beginner or a global competitor, AABA will soon be their gateway to badminton excellence. We want to bring vibrant badminton culture to Nagpur,” said Arundhati, a former National Games champion and world No 49 during a press conference at the academy on Thursday.
At AABA, there are five Yonex courts, a gymnasium, separate changing rooms for men and women, a gallery to accommodate around 600 spectators, an exclusive Yonex sports shop and ample parking space. Five-time national mixed doubles champion Arun Vishnu is also excited to train the local talent from the region.
“We have shifted from Hyderabad to Nagpur to start our own set up. Our aim is to train the promising players from the region and give them a perfect platform to launch their career. I am sure in the years to come, you can see players from our academy shining at the national and international level. Given the amount of talent we have in the region, it will take a year or two to churn out champions from our academy,” said Arun, India’s doubles coach and former world No 37.
Nirmal Sports Academy’s Sachin Nayse informed that they have signed a five-year deal with AABA. “We have constructed a huge badminton hall keeping in mind the talented players of the region. Earlier, top local players used to shift to major badminton academies in Hyderabad or Bengaluru. But now they will get all the best facilities at this centre. We are happy to tie up with AABA and I am sure champions will be produced from here soon. Both Arundhati and Arun are not only top badminton players of their playing days but now also established themselves as leading coaches. This centre will certainly improve the overall badminton standard in the region,” said Nayse.
Apart from Arundhati and Head Coach Arun, the academy will avail services of few more coaches. “Andhra Pradesh’s Ruthvik Kiran, Tanmay Gawande and Chhattisgarh’s Atul Tamrakar, who are all trained coaches, will be on the panel. We also have a gym and soon we will also hire a trainer and a physiotherapist,” added Arun.
Over a hundred players have already registered for availing the facility at AABA and it includes city’s top doubles player Ritika Thaker, Simran Singhi and Pondicherry’s Kavipriya. Nirmal Sports Academy’s Ramesh Nayse, Sushant and Sairaj were also present.
