EP-268 | Is Sports Only for the Rich? Pullela Gopichand's Brutal Take

Pullela Gopichand is the second Indian to win the prestigious All England Open Badminton Championship (2001). A former Olympian, he coached Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu to Olympic success.

Honoured with the Arjuna Award in 1999, Gopichand is often called the ‘Dronacharya of Indian Badminton.’ Since 2004, he has been running an academy in Hyderabad, where players like Srikanth Kidambi, Parupalli Kashyap, H.S. Prannoy, Sai Praneeth, and Sameer Verma have trained and brought glory to India.

In this episode of ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, Gopichand addresses the controversy around his remark that "only the rich should play sports." He clarifies that his concern is about the lack of support for athletes after retirement. He points out that while one in a hundred may reach the top, the rest need a safety net.

He also talks about how the government can do more to support athletes, the evolution of sports in India, and what it takes to create champions. He also discusses the impact of social media trolling on athletes’ mental health and the reality behind sports quota jobs.

00:00 - Introduction

00:49 - ‘Sports are for the Rich’ Controversy

08:05 - Securing an Athlete’s Future

13:44 - Post-Career Support for Athletes

19:54 - Wealth Disparity in Sports

25:27 - Government’s Role in Athlete Welfare

25:49 - Struggles of Athletes

28:04 - From Badminton Player to Coach

36:42 - How Sports Have Evolved

40:50 - Best Sports Choices for Kids

44:11 - Coaching Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu

48:08 - Bias in Coaching

53:16 - Dealing with Social Media Trolling

54:58 - An Athlete’s Diet: What It Takes

58:11 - Southeast Asian vs. European Players

01:01:25 - PM’s Role in Sports Development

01:02:48 - Sports Career Options: Then vs. Now

01:07:19 - Sports Quota Jobs