RaK's Badminton Arena, a unit of RaK's Pallikkoodam, has witnessed outstanding success through its five-year collaboration with Badminton Gurukul, an initiative founded by Indian badminton legend Pullela Gopichand.

This fruitful association has led to the emergence of 8–9 exceptional young athletes who have made their mark at the national level. Notably, a talented duo from the academy has also achieved a Badminton World Federation (BWF) ranking under 50.

Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, Swetha Krishnamurthy, Founder of RaK’s Pallikkoodam, announced that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between RaK’s and Badminton Gurukul would be extended, given the excellent outcomes of the partnership.

She highlighted that the collaboration began post-COVID and, over the past four years, 40 students have undergone professional training while another 100 have been trained at the grassroots, beginner, and intermediate levels.

"Following our collaboration with Badminton Gurukul, 7 to 8 players from our academy have represented India in both the junior and senior circuits," Ms. Krishnamurthy said. "8 to 9 of our athletes have secured top positions at the national and Asian levels in the Under-17 and Under-19 categories," she added.

Hari and Reuben from Tanjore, who play in the men's doubles category, were trained under Head Coach Mahendiran Radha at RaK’s Badminton Arena. Later, they advanced to Badminton Gurukul in Hyderabad for further training under Mr. Gopichand’s mentorship. Their combined coaching support helped the duo achieve an impressive BWF world ranking of 45. (They are training to get the BWF rank under 32 to qualify for the olympics).

Ms. Krishnamurthy also mentioned players like Nardhana and Arun Murugan, who trained at the Arena and went on to win two silver medals — in men's doubles and mixed doubles — at the National Games 2024–25.

At RaK’s Badminton Arena, students are evaluated by coaches based on their performance, feedback, and progress reports. Those who demonstrate the potential to succeed at the national and international levels are given the opportunity to train at Badminton Gurukul in Hyderabad.

Pullela Gopichand, who was also present at the press conference, praised the performance of the athletes trained at RaK’s. “I’m truly amazed by the talent emerging from Coimbatore,” he remarked. “The city is producing some of the finest players in the country.”

Speaking further, he said that together with RaK's Badminton Arena, Badminton Gurukul is trying to create a system or a structure in which the best of talents are given the opportunity to take part in higher level of traininig like how matured nations are doing in sports.

He also commended Head Coach Mahendiran Radha’s dedication and the institutional support that has enabled a steady stream of promising talent. “When excellence becomes consistent, it reflects the quality of coaching and the ecosystem supporting it,” he added.

Expressing confidence in the academy's future, Mr. Gopichand concluded, “I’m sure many more players from RaK’s Badminton Arena will rise to even greater heights in the years to come.” 

It is noteworthy to mention that RaK's Badminton Arena has fully supported 20 outstanding talents so far to help them achieve their dreams.