VVS Laxman inaugurates multi-discipline sporting facility in Hyderabad

The sporting facility is spread across 1.3 acres and has six outdoor cricket nets, five indoor badminton courts, a half-basketball court and a fully-equipped gym, which is opened for trainees

Hyderabad: Former Indian cricketer and the director of the National Cricket Academy VVS Laxman inaugurated the multi-disciplined sports academy by St John’s Sports Coaching Foundation, in Begumpet on Monday.

The sporting facility is spread across 1.3 acres and has six outdoor cricket nets, five indoor badminton courts, a half-basketball court and a fully-equipped gym, which is opened for trainees. Headed by John Manoj, the facility will have best of the coaches in all the disciplines, revealed Manoj. Indian shooter Esha Singh, former basketball player Mohd Rizwan, former badminton player Manoj and team India former fielding coach R Sridher, who were present at the inauguration, lauded the facilities.

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Speaking about his association with St John’s Sports Coaching foundation and coach John Manoj, Laxman recalled that he was the student of the first batch at the academy that was started in 1987 by then MV Narasimha Rao. “I had great coaches like John Manoj who were instrumental in my career. They were there as my support system till my playing days. So the presence of great infrastructure and a good coach will yield good results. I am sure this new facility will provide a great platform for budding players, not just in cricket but also in other disciplines, a great opportunity to realise their dream,” added the former Indian cricketer.

He also asked the parents to show patience with their children and said their encouragement plays a crucial role in shaping their career. “When I was training, I worked only for three hours. But now I see parents pushing their kids to train for six to seven hours which is not good for their body. And also the encouragement parents show when the results are up and down plays a vital role. Every child is unique and parents need to understand that,” he explained.