GoSports Foundation Conclave 2015 to be held in Bengaluru

Olympian and 9-time World Championship winning shuttler Aparna Popat will be part of the Conclave

4 December 2015, Bangalore: The GoSports Foundation Conclave 2015, to be held on December 5th at ITC Windsor, Bangalore, will bring together top coaches, administrators and thought leaders in Indian sports. This first-of-its kind Sports Conclave is themed around “Make in India – Creating World Champions with World Class Domestic Coaching and Support Systems”.

This Conclave has been envisioned as a forum for knowledge sharing and exchange of ideas on high-performance sports coaching structures in India. With top coaches, sports science experts and sports administrators in attendance, the Conclave seeks to enable conversations on the current coaching scenario in India and also to initiate discussions on the way forward to bridge gaps between domestic and world-class standards.

The Conclave also seeks to celebrate the spirit and the journeys of those who have overcome the odds to identify, create, and coach World and Asian champion athletes domestically, within the existing systems. Dronacharya Awardee and Swimming Coach, Mr. Nihar Ameen, will share his coaching journey – from working with American coach Jack Nelson and coming back to India and training several swimmers who have gone on to represent India at multiple Olympics and win Asian Games medals.

National Badminton Coach Mr. P. Gopichand will share insights on the growing strength of the Badminton talent pool in India over the years and ways in which the growth can be

supported and sustained.

Renowned Physiotherapist, John Gloster, will share his experience of working with top Indian and international athletes and his thoughts on the current state of sports science in the country. These talks will each be followed by panel discussions with a focus on challenges and strategies relating to working with the Indian high performance athlete, the state of Indian sports science, and the way forward for the sports coaching eco-system in India.

Mr. Pullela Gopichand, Member of the GoSports Foundation’s Advisory Board, said, “I believe that this initiative will encourage conversations among the coaches and help us in sharing best practices, and learning from others’ experiences. By enabling interactions and promoting open conversations between top coaches, sports science experts and sports professionals, such Conclaves can help us understand the bigger picture and contribute positively to the sporting ecosystem of the country”.

Nandan Kamath, Managing Trustee of GoSports Foundation said, “Elite sporting achievement is possible only with sustained and structured support from the system. Today, Indian athletes are winning more consistently and placing increasing demands on the Indian coaching and support structure. We believe we have large amounts of untapped potential in this country not just in terms of athletic prowess but also among those who are necessary to find them, support them and propel them towards success.”

“Make in India in sports is a work-in-progress, but an eminently achievable goal if we are able to plan carefully, build capacity and strategise our interventions as a nation. The Conclave is our attempt at facilitating conversations that could pave way for such collaborations and larger systemic initiatives.”