Coach Mohammed Siyadatullah Siddiqui quits Gopi Chand Academy, to join Oregon Badminton Academy in US

The support staff at the Gopi Chand Academy might not be the same again with one of the most trusted and respected coaches, Mohammed Siyadatullah Siddiqui, moving over to the Oregon Badminton Academy in the United States of America (USA).

For long, the 40-year-old Siyadutt has been one of those very few whom the chief national coach, P. Gopi Chand, has always looked up to to take up the role of a travelling coach, and with an impressive record too.

“It has been a terrific journey so far for me, having started my playing career in Mahabubnagar in 2000. Because of the injury, I stopped playing and started as a coach at the Gopi Academy (Gachibowli) from 2004,” Siyadutt, as he is better known in the badminton circles, told Sportstar.

The fact that Siyadutt could mentor the likes of Saina Nehwal and Kidambi Srikanth when they won the prestigious China Open titles was itself a tribute to his efficacy and the kind of faith the players, including the lead shuttlers, had in him.

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“Yes, I owe a lot to Gopi anna (brother). He is the reason for who I am today. And I enjoyed every minute, picking up so many things in the art of coaching from him. I am glad that I have played my bit in the success stories of some of the most famous names in Indian badminton in the last two decades,” Siyadutt, who joined the national team as singles coach in 2004, said.

Since then, he has been an integral part of many memorable moments in Indian badminton, including the 2018 Commonwealth Games team gold and the Thomas Cup gold, besides helping the players script winning moments in many Super Series too.

Reflecting on the Oregon Badminton Academy, a full-fledged USA Badminton (USAB) certified badminton facility located in the city of Beaverton in the Portland Metropolitan area of Oregon, Siyadutt said the mission was to provide the best-in-class badminton facility and infrastructure through a comprehensive list of high-quality badminton services including coaching/training programmes at all levels and age groups besides fitness programmes.

“I hope I will help the Oregon Academy produce champion shuttlers in the near future,” he signed off.