The Centre for Sports Excellence (CSE) is a multi-sport, state-of-the-art facility in Bengaluru whose world-class facilities are all set to change the face of sports in the country.
Started by Vivek Kumar, Founder, CSE is a space for all things sports and is dedicated to two ace Karnataka based sportspersons Prakash Padukone and Rahul Dravid and has been christened as The Padukone-Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence. The thought process behind the venture was to have a space with world class infrastructure and the center was finally launched in December 2017. According to Kumar, “India lacks sporting infrastructure so the idea was to have this in place for use by leading academies, coaches and can be used for the benefit of all the players. Because whatever good infrastructure we have is connected with an educational institution or a corporate and it is only captive audience of associated with them who can use the facility. While CSE can be used without any hassles and help sportspersons practice consistently.”
Being a Good Sport
Spread over 16 acres the center is located in Yelahanka in North Bengaluru and currently has seven sports in which coaching and training are provided. The sports include badminton, cricket, squash, tennis, swimming, basketball and football. Interestingly, each of these sports is imparted by experts in the field through their academies. So there is the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy (badminton), 6 (SIX) Cricket Academy (cricket), Peter Burwash International Tennis Academy, Dolphin Aquatics (swimming), Bangalore Youth Football League and Boca Juniors School of Football (football), Ray Malik School of Squash (squash), and Akanksha Singh Basketball (basketball) all on site. There are two badminton halls with 16 courts and one of them is used by international athletes who are training constantly and competing so that they can have uninterrupted playing time and use the court without any kind of restrictions. Prakash Padukone says, “I have been associated with CSE right from the concept and planning stage. It is one of the first of its kind in the country and a very impressive sporting infrastructure comparable with the best in the world. All facilities are world class and all the elite athletes of the country can use this facility to enhance their performance. We need more such facilities from the private sector for Indian sports to grow. The biggest advantage of CSE is that it is accessible to both elite athletes as well as beginners.”
Advantage Sports
CSE is able to help budding sports persons as it provides world class infrastructure that was always a deterrent for Indian youngsters in the past. “Since all the sports provide International standard playing surfaces, our players are used to playing on such surfaces and can adjust to the situation quickly while taking part in International Competitions. While local athletes can use the facility throughout the year, youngsters from outside Bangalore can avail the facility during vacations. Once the hostel facility comes up next year, it will be a big boon for all the athletes. I am very confident CSE will produce many champions in the years to come,” avers Padukone. The center is designed as a one stop shop for all things sports. There is also a hall of fame that has painted images of athletes that have made a mark in the history of sports in India. An amphitheater and multipurpose hall are also part of the premises. Yonex and Speedo also have their retail outlets for the benefit of the sportspersons. There are a couple of restaurants that serve nutritive food as well. “Each and every facility at CSE is of the highest quality and is meant solely for budding athletes. This means that coaches and athletes get a training environment that is all theirs and that freedom goes a long way in athlete development,” says former cricketer Rahul Dravid who feels humbled to lend his name to a world-class centre like this.
Injuries at Bay
One of the biggest challenges that a sportsperson faces is performance injuries. The center has a high performance training centre that has some state of the art revolutionary equipment that combines assessment with training that gives real-time feedback. According to Abhinav Bindra “the role of sports science and technology played a crucial role in my performance and my Olympic journey. I travelled to the best facilities in the world to benefit and help improve my performance. I always wanted to see these facilities and technology available in India and that is where the idea of opening a High-Performance Training centre was born.” The Abhinav Bindra Targeting Performance Center provides the best sports performance training facilities and rehabilitation therapy in India through intricate and intense exercises that give accurate results. The varied equipment here helps athletes and people who use the center monitor their training, peak performance, rehabilitation and injury prevention. The comprehensive full body approach focuses on permanent correction through Biomechanical Assessments (Postural & Functional), Sports High-Performance Training, Prehabilitation, Advanced Rehabilitation and recovery. The machines help in gait analysis, squat analysis, upper and lower limb test, postural balance test, proprioceptive test, foot balance compares and postural test to analyze imbalances in your back muscles and body. Tecnobody systems here are used extensively for medical fitness, sports science and rehabilitation. The Cryospace here is designed to provide immediate cooling for the whole body using the vapor of liquid nitrogen via exposure to cryogenic temperatures to cool down nerves and body muscles. A Pilates studio is also part of this center and is known for its low-impact flexibility and muscular strength and endurance movements ensures proper postural alignment, core strength and muscle balance. “The vision is to be the center from where Indians win laurels at the international arena for our country. I am also looking at making sure there is access to such a facility whether it is at a grass root level program or for people who want to become healthier,” adds Kumar. CSE is certainly changing how sports will be perceived in the country and this is a step in the right direction for a sporty future.
This story first appeared in Spice Route’s August 2019 story here: