Dubai-based Sakshi to train at Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy in India

Sakshi Prakash (right) with the other six selected players.

Dubai-based Sakshi Prakash has won a full-time residential training for two years at the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy in Hyderabad.
She is among seven under-12 players selected for training from thousands of entries from across the India and other countries.
The selected young players had to undergo rigorous two-week training during the summer and winter vacations respectively at the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy in Hyderabad. During this four-week tenure, Pullela Gopichand and his team of coaches evaluated the kids on the basis of their performance, fitness, attitude, agility, and footwork. Based on this assessment, the children have now been offered the opportunity to undergo full-time residential training at the Academy for a period of two years.
During the two-year programme, Pullela Gopichand and his team of coaches will work with the kids to improve different aspects of their game and to help them master new skills and techniques.
While at the Academy, the kids will also be able to observe and interact with the country's top national and international players which will further motivate and inspire them.
IDBI Federal Quest for Excellence Young Champs programme is India's first-ever grassroots-level badminton initiative launched in December 2017. The aim of the programme is to promote badminton among the youth and to identify budding badminton players. 
In the initial round, over a thousand video entries were received from across India, as well as from Indians settled abroad in countries including the UAE. Out of these, 26 kids were selected for a day-long intensive evaluation before the list was pruned to 14, who went through a four-week training evaluation before the final seven were picked.
 
Pullela Gopichand, chief national coach for the Indian Badminton team and Programme Head, IDBI Federal Quest For Excellence said, "It is through initiatives like IDBI Federal Quest For Excellence #YoungChamps programme that we are adding to the growing base of rising badminton stars in our country. I take pride in being associated with this programme and look forward to having these extremely dynamic kids train at the Academy."