Influenced by shuttlers' performance in Rio, Jharkhand to now have a badminton academy

Jamshedpur: The Jharkhand Badminton Association (JBA) today announced the launch of first professional academy for coaching in the state on the National Sports Day.

The academy will start functioning from next month, JBA Secretary K Prabhakar Rao told reporters here.

The coaching will be conducted by reputed shuttler Sachin Kumar Rana, one of the five coaches appointed under National coach Pullela Gopichand to train Indian team for the Rio Olympics, he said.

The Jharkhand badminton team could not perform well at the national level in the last five years owing to lack of professional approach, he said.