On her father Prakash Padukone's milestone 70th birthday, Bollywood superstar Deepika Padukone unveiled an ambitious expansion of the Padukone School of Badminton -- launching new coaching centres to nurture grassroots talent and elevate the sport across India.
The Padukone School of Badminton has established 75 grassroots coaching centres across 18 Indian cities -- including Bengaluru, NCR, Mumbai, Chennai, Jaipur, Pune, Nashik, Mysuru, Panipat, Dehradun, Udaipur, Coimbatore, Sangli and Surat -- within its first year of operations.
It is on track to reach 100 centres by this year end and aims for 250 within three years, bringing world-class training to aspiring players.
Deepika has supported her legendary father's vision of making badminton accessible to young kids across the country by founding the Padukone School of Badminton.
'As someone who grew up playing badminton, I've experienced firsthand how much this sport can shape one's life -- physically, mentally, and emotionally.
'Through Padukone School of Badminton, we hope to bring the joy and discipline of Badminton to people from all walks of life, and build a generation that is healthier, more focused, and inspired by sport,' Deepika posted on Instagram, sharing a picture with her father.
'Pappa, those who know you well, know your passion for this sport. That even at 70, all you do is eat, sleep and breathe Badminton. And we are committed to making your passion a reality: Badminton for All!'
'Happy 70th Birthday Pappa!'
Prakash Padukone is the first Indian to win the All England Championships -- the world's most prestigious annual badminton competition -- in 1980.
He won his first National Senior Championship in 1971 at age 16 -- the youngest player to win the title. He went on to dominate the national circuit, winning nine successive national titles from 1971 to 1979.
Padukone also won the gold medal at the 1978 Commonwealth Games, before going on to win the Danish Open and Swedish Open.
He then went on to create history with the All England triumph, which saw him become the first Indian to climb to the No 1 ranking in the world.
In 1983, he won the bronze medal at the World Championships before hanging up his boots in 1989.
After his playing career, he founded the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy in Bengaluru with former national champion Vimal Kumar. He also served as the chairman of the Badminton Association of India and was the coach of the Indian team from 1993 to 1996.
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