Want to start a sports academy? Take lessons from these 11

Twenty-one year old PV Sindhu displayed true grit as she won the first silver medal for India in badminton at the Rio Olympics 2016. It is no surprise then that the sports academy she comes from is getting calls non stop for registrations. The Gopichand Badminton Academy, where greats like Sindhu and Saina Nehwal come from, is overbooked according to reports. In such a situation, are there more academies really tapping the huge opportunity in the sports market in India?

The global sports sector is estimated to be worth between $480-620 billion. The sports industry in India has grown extensively from Rs. 43.7 billion in 2013 to Rs. 48 billion ($713 million) in 2015 — mainly due to the emergence of new sporting leagues. Also, India has moved forward from a single sport nation to a multi-sport country, and is witnessing a boom that will benefit the sports business in the years to come.

Parents in India are now opening up to the idea of enrolling their kids to sports coaching institute so as to develop their overall well being. Many such institutes are run by current or retired sportsperson which lets them pass their knowledge of the sport to the upcoming generation. The players of these academies have been seen performing extremely well and winning medals at major international events. It's high time then, that the industry looks at this opportunity and takes lessons from some of the best sports academies in India. If you want to start your own sports academies, these are academies you must take lessons from:

Gopichand Badminton Academy

This academy is making news with its player P V Sindhu winning a silver medal at RIO 2016. It was founded by 2001 All England Open badminton champion Pullela Gopichand in Hyderabad. The facility trains the likes of Saina Nehwal, Parupalli Kashyap, P V Sindhu, Arundhati Pantawane, Guru Sai Dutt and Arun Vishnu. Currently, the academy is running overbooked for years.

The $2.5 million badminton training academy contains eight courts, a swimming pool, weight training room, cafeteria and rooms to sleep. The construction of this facility was modeled after Bangalore’s Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy, which is headed by Prakash Padukone. The architectural design was completed by Hyderabad-based Arvee Consultants. The wooden flooring of the courts were made as per international standards.In addition, physiotherapy, food and diet programs are also available.It also served as a venue for the 2009 Indian Open while the 2009 BWF World Championships used it as a training venue.

Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy

Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy (PPBA) was started in 1994 by Prakash Padukone, Vimal Kumar and Vivek Kumar. Situated in Bangalore, it imparts top-notch training and coaching to young players who are selected to the Academy on merit, and to whom training and facilities are provided on a scholarship basis. Many national and international champions have been trained here.

Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools

Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools (BBFS) is an initiative started by former Indian skipper Bhaichung Bhutia along with Football by Carlos Queiroz (FBCQ). BBFS guides children between the ages of 5 and 15 with the assistance of Portugal coaches to hone their football skills. Kids from underprivileged sections of the society constitute about 20-30 % of the students enrolled in this school.

Mary Kom boxing academy

5-time World Champion Mary Kom has set up a boxing academy in Imphal to encourage more people to take up the sport. With the dream of creating many more Mary Koms, she plans to provide excellent infrastructure in the boxing academy including separate hostels for men and women, boxing rings, free food, tracksuits, etc. The land is provided by the Central government and is undergoing construction. She is taking the crowd funding route to generate money to ensure better facilities at the academy.

Bhiwani Boxing Club

Bhiwani Boxing Club or “BBC” was started by the Sports Authority of India (SAI)and former Indian boxer, Jagdish Singh . It was established by Hawa Singh, two-time Asian games gold medallist and 11-time National champion. Four of the five boxers that represented India at the 2008 Beijing Olympics were from this boxing club. While Jitender Kumar and Akhil Kumar qualified for the quarterfinals, Vijender Singh won a bronze medal for the nation .Bhiwani is known as Little Cuba in India for producing large number of boxers.

Netaji Subhash National Institute of Sports

It is Asia’s largest sports institute and is located in Patiala. The institute is referred as the "Mecca" of Indian Sports and has produced coaches of exemplary nature who have assisted various teams in national and international competitions. The sports training facilities consists of gymnasium, swimming pool, indoor halls, cycling velodrome, squash courts, conditioning units, hockey fields (grass & synthetic), athletic track (cinder & synthetic) & outdoor courts. Sauna bath, steam bath and hydrotherapy facilities are also available for players’ recovery.

Sports Authority of India

The Sports Authority of India (SAI) was created by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India in 1984. It has seven regional centres at Bangalore, Bhopal, Gandhinagar, Kolkata, Sonepat, Delhi, Mumbai and Imphal and two sub-centres at Guwahati and Aurangabad. SAI has two academic wings which provide certificate courses in physical education, sports and sports medicine – Netaji Subhash National Institute of Sports (NSNIS), Patiala for coaches and the Lakshmibai National College of Physical Education (LNCPE) at Thiruvananthapuram.

Mahesh Bhupathi Tennis Academy (MBTA)

Mahesh Bhupathi , the renowned tennis player who won several tournaments across the world as a doubles player brings all his expertise to the fore as he teaches kids and adults the nuances of tennis. MBTA started School Tennis Program to make sure that children get exposed to the game very early in their lives. The main objective of the MBTA was to increase the accessibility of tennis by ensuring that people across all socio-economic groups have the opportunity to experience the game. There are 35 centres spread all over the country catering to 8000 children.

Gun For Glory Shooting Academy

Located in Balewadi, Pune, Gagan Narang and Pawan Singh started Gun For Glory to identify potential medal winners for India in shooting. The complex provides world class infrastructure and has various teams to ensure athletes get best coaching. It has brought together a bevy of foreign Coaches, a foreign Grip Maker, Sports Injury Management Team, Physiotherapist, Yoga Guru, Dietician, Masseur, Gun testing facility, utilisation of SCATT, video analyzers, Equipment control & Psychologist among others.

Tata Football Academy

Probably the best academy in India. The objective of Tata Football Academy is to provide the mainstream of national football with a perennial pool of young footballers trained and oriented to international standards. The strategy is simple –“CATCH THEM YOUNG” and give them the best, in terms of training with modern techniques, tactics, physical and psychological conditioning and related inputs.

Cricket India Academy

Cricket India Academy offers an exclusive Cricket Pathway, an integrated cricket development program with a well defined and progressive road map. As a child progresses academically; his or her cricket development should also progress in parallel. From learning the basics of cricket through fun and modified games, a child should have the opportunity to travel the cricket development journey attending sequential coaching programs developing their cricket potential whilst supporting their academic growth. Besides quality cricket coaching, emphasis is placed on tournament preparation and playing performance.

Thus, opening a sports academy can be profitable but a challenging business. Even though you’re doing something you love but it is a business. All in all, the sports industry in India has tremendous business potential with sports becoming the next big thing for the Indian economy.