It’s hurting to see world-class sporting infrastructure lie idle, says Jwala Gutta
Former badminton star says privatisation of sports is not helping raise talent
Hyderabad: Not many may be aware that G Jwala donated a techno gym costing Rs 25 lakhs and mats to the Fateh Maidan Indoor Stadium from the incentives she got on becoming the first Indian pair (partnering Ashwini Ponnappa) to win a world championship medal (women’s doubles) in 2011.
“Now, look at the sorry state of affairs there. No one cares. It hurts us seriously because I can say it was my birthplace as far as badminton is concerned. Grew up the hard way thanks to Arif sir (Dronacharya SM Arif),” Jwala says in a chat with ‘Telangana Today’.
“So, even as I welcome the proposed Sports City, I also feel it is imperative for us to use the existing world-class infrastructure. Where are the activities in all the stadia which have come up in the city for the 2002 National Games and the 2003 Afro-Asian Games,” she said.
“I have serious doubts and will not be surprised if the new infrastructure is handed over to someone who has their own personal agenda. It looks as if the authorities, both at the State and the Centre, are not keen to hire the services of former champion athletes as mentors,” Jwala said.
“See, for instance, way back in 2022, I wrote to the Badminton Association of India to allot at least under-15 girls doubles camps to my academy (Jwala Gutta Academy of Excellence here). Nothing happens, everyone should know the reason,” she said.
“Just consider that badminton from the then united Andhra Pradesh was on top in India when the epicentre of training was only the Fateh Maidan Indoor Stadium. Now, we have so many Academies, but where are the players?” Jwala asked.
“We are in such a sorry state of affairs that if anyone in a premier doubles combination is injured, we are not confident of the ideal replacement,” she said.
“Leave alone players, we are not even able to produce coaches who could mould genuine talent into champions. And tell me why no one bothers about coaches not having permanent jobs and continuing to be on a contract basis,” she said.
“The same set of people, the same framework of guidelines and the same set-ups are killing sports now. Just remember that I was myself a product of the support system of the State and the central government then. Like many champions of my time, I too came from a middle-class family—not from the rich and elite,” Jwala said. “Privatisation of sports will not help the cause,” she said.
“One of the biggest failures is the inability to teach children the hard way to success; the learning ability amongst them is missing, unfortunately,” Jwala said.
“Honestly, the Tamil Nadu Government seems to give more respect to me than our own State government, as Udayanidhi Stalin is welcome to my ideas and is sending children to my Academy,” she said.
