Saina bid adieu to Gopichand - TeluguPeople.com News

Hyderabad: India's most successful coach-player combination of Pullela Gopichand and Saina Nehwal seems to be a pass' now as the ace Indian shuttler is believed to have decided to part ways with the coach.

The 24-year-old Hyderabadi shuttler moved to Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy in Bangalore on Tuesday to train under Vimal Kumar two weeks ahead of the Asian Games to prepare for the event.

What is more, Saina is also contemplating establishing her own badminton academy in Bangalore, indicating that she is no more interested in returning to Hyderabad and working with Gopichand.

Saina, who is going through a slump in form for quite a while now, failed to advance beyond quarterfinals in the recently concluded World Badminton Championships where her colleague PV Sindhu from the Pullela Gopichand.

Despite persistent questions from the media at a press conference at his academy in the city on Tuesday, Gopichand remained tight-lipped while not denying the split. Instead, he said, 'I don't want to comment on that issue because it is two weeks to go for the Asian Games.

I think wherever you are training the last thing you want is your focus to be out. So leave it at that, let's address it later.' 'It has been 10 years since we have been together. I don't know what happened. I don't want to comment on it right now. I read the report in the newspaper in the morning (Tuesday). Let's leave it at that,' he said.

In contrast, Saina said that she spoke to Gopichand during the World Championships and he was okay with it. 'Gopi sir, myself and Vimal sir had discussions and after that, I decided to come to Bangalore for training for two weeks. It will be a change for me and also help my preparations for the Asian Games,' said Saina.

She further added that the tips by Vimal Kumar during her Uber Cup victory helped her game very well and would like to work with him ahead of the Asiad. This is not the first time that the Olympic bronze medalist split with the coach. She had earlier parted ways with Gopichand in 2011 to train with Baskar Babu. But within three months, she returned to Gopichand academy and she had also apologised to Gopichand.

However, the recent move comes in wake of her sore relations with the national chief coach. It is learnt that with emergence of PV Sindhu as a champion material and Gopichand dedicating more time for the young prodigy, Saina's future at the academy was in quandary.

Saina's last-minute withdrawal from the Commonwealth Games was also seen as a result. But the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy on Tuesday tried to downplay the controversy by saying that Saina's stint with the PPBA would be a two-week affair focusing solely on Asian Games.

'This is to inform all Indian badminton fans that after discussion with national badminton coach, Gopichand and Saina, it has been decided that Saina will train with Vimal at Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy in Bangalore for two weeks as part of her training for the Asian Games' a statement by the PPBA said.

It will be interesting to see if Saina will return to academy like she did three years ago or she will make Bangalore her permanent base. The fact that Saina is planning to open academy in Bangalore too might play a crucial role in her next move.