Vidyadhar aims to give back to badminton through coaching

JBS Vidyadhar, former India No.3 in singles and one of the premier doubles players of the 90s, is keen to embark on a journey of giving back something to the sport with all dedication and commitment, donning the role of a coach

Hyderabad: JBS Vidyadhar, former India No.3 in singles and one of the premier doubles players of the 90s, is keen to embark on a journey of giving back something to the sport with all dedication and commitment, donning the role of a coach.

Not that 47-year-old Jandhyala Vidyadhar is new to coaching, but having shifted his base to Hyderabad due to his designation as Manager at the Indian Oil Corporation, he is keen to make a serious impact in a sport that he feels has given him everything.

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“Coaching is not new for me. I have been into it on and off ever since my career as a player ended some time ago. In fact, I was on the Indian panel of coaches until the 2024 Paris Olympics, thanks to the support of the Badminton Association of India (BAI),” Vidyadhar says in a chat with ‘Telangana Today’.

The 2003 SAF Games double gold medallist (in team and men’s doubles events) was indisputably one of the most feared opponents of his time for his telling smashes, which invariably tested the defenses of the best players.

Well, if there is a search for a genuine coach with no motives who is expected to put his heart and soul into the job, it should end at Vidyadhar’s doorstep, for he might well fit into the role to near perfection.

“Somehow, I just can’t think of being away from the game that made me what I am today. And, thanks to the wonderful support of the IOC, I have the liberty to take up coaching in a big way,” said Vidyadhar, who represented India in three Thomas Cup editions.

“My ultimate dream is to produce a champion at the highest level. I know what is required to be one, having gone through the grind myself and the kind of challenges I had faced as a player,” he said.

The four-time Asian Satellite mixed doubles winner (three times with Jwala Gutta and once with P.V.V. Lakshmi) feels that there is no dearth of talent.

“But again, for someone like me to be full-time into coaching, we need a different kind of support for sure. Yes, corporate funding at the right time is badly needed,” said Vidyadhar, whose contemporaries included P. Gopichand, B. Chetan Anand, Anup Sridhar, Arvind Bhatt, Sachin Ratti, Abhinn Shyam Gupta, Sanave Thomas, and Rupesh.

“Yes, I am looking for someone to help provide a training centre to take up coaching straight away,” signed off an optimistic Vidyadhar.