Padma Bhushan Sri Pullela Gopichand’s visit to Sathya Sai Grama – 27th May 2022
On 27th May 2022, Badminton legend, Padma Bhushan Sri Pullela Gopichand, currently Chief National Coach for the Indian national badminton team, visited Sathya Sai Grama, Muddenahalli.
The Executive Secretary & Trustee of Sri Sathya Sai Annapoorna Trust, Mr. Anand K Kadali & Trustee and Treasurer of the Sri Sathya Sai Annapoorna Trust – Mr. Sai Prasad Ivaturi & Chief Financial Officer of Sri Sathya Sai Sarla Memorial Hospital – Mr. Ashimavo Dutta greeted and welcomed Mr. Gopichand. He was then given a guided tour of the ashram & the hospital. He also spent quality time with school & university students; engaging them in a few games of badminton and inspiring them with his humility, charm & indomitable sporting spirit.
Mr. Sai Prasad had earlier been a flatmate of Mr. Gopichand during his stay in Hyderabad. He shared details with him about the three institutions namely, Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva Gurukulam Group of Institutions, Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Hospitals, and the Sri Sathya Sai Annapoorna Trust that have made remarkable progress in furthering the cause of free values-based education, free tertiary health care services and free nutrition to the rural poor and the deprived sections of the society.
In his talk at Sri Sathya Sai Premamrutham Auditorium, the All-England Open Badminton Championship 2001 winner, Padma Bhushan Sri Pullela Gopichand remarked, “I am so happy to see sporting infrastructure being built here because I think the foundation for health & wellbeing comes out of sports.” Recalling the two exhibition matches he was called upon to play in Puttaparthi, he shared his learnings from the experience saying, “I wondered why Swami wanted a stadium in a Spiritual centre? The more I looked at it over time, I could see why the Spiritual Masters give importance to sports. It is not merely for winning; it is actually for competing with ourselves, to become the best versions of what we can be!” His wonderful speech was an inspiration to make sports a part of our daily life.
