Our Team & Coaches
Meet the high-performing team at Padukone sports management, led by the legendary Prakash Padukone. All the coaches at Padukone sports management are trained in our proprietary coaching methodology and supported by knowledgeable staff to provide you with the best possible guidance at every stage of the game.
Our Leadership Team
Prakash Padukone
(Founder – Director)
Prakash Padukone is widely regarded as the pioneer of Indian badminton. He was ranked World No. 1 in 1980 – the same year he became the first Indian to win the All England Badminton Championship. Prakash Padukone continued the winning streak throughout his career and bagged over 20 international medals before retiring as a player in 1991. He remained actively involved in the game even after retirement and coached the Indian national badminton team from 1993 and 1996. For his immense dedication and the glory brought by him to the nation, Prakash Padukone has conferred the Arjuna Award in 1972 and the Padma Shri in 1982.
Padukone sports management was founded by the legendary Prakash Padukone in 2002 to coach young badminton players. Eventually, it transformed into a holistic badminton academy for everyone to learn and enjoy the game with the proper training, as well as those who wish to compete professionally.
Sriharsha Bade
General Manager- Padukone Sports Management
With over 10 years of experience in Management Consulting, Program Management & Marketing, Sriharsha Bade is a high-energy, result-driven analytical professional.
Sustainable growth is the goal for both Padukone sports management and life. He has an MBA from Babson College, Massachusetts.
An avid sports fan, Sriharsha religiously follows everything he can in the world of Badminton, Formula 1, MMA, Tennis, Basketball.
Aditya Prakash
Head Coach
Aditya brings immense experience learned during his training stints at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy and Gopichand Academy. Aditya is also considered to be one of the most technically gifted players of the game.
Achievements:
- OGQ (Olympic Gold Quest) certified coach
- KOA (Karnataka Olympic Association) award – 2008
- Ekalavya Award – Karnataka State – 2012
- Silver Medallist in Men’s Singles in the Youth Commonwealth Games Pune 2008.
- Part of the team that won the Bronze Medal in the Junior World Championship, Pune, 2008
- Part of the team that won the Gold Medal in the SAF (South Asian Federation) games in Dhaka, Bangladesh, 2010
- Former National Champion in the U-13, 16 and 19 category.
Why is PSM India’s Leading Badminton Coaching Academy?
No sport is just a physical endeavor. It requires the proper conditioning of body and mind to play a game well, especially badminton, where a player must keep their mind focused while the body moves intuitively.
At Padukone sports management, we cover every aspect of the game to help you play better, enjoy more and minimize injuries.
- The proper nutrition, focus, and personality development are part of our badminton training that’s aimed at enthusing a genuine love for sports in all our students in addition to playing it well.
- Experienced coaches with proven record of accomplishment to expedite your training progress and instil confidence.
- Compulsory on-court and off-court assessments are built into the training program to personalize the program for each student.
- A standardized teaching methodology was developed by star players Prakash Padukone.
- Choose from customized training programs designed for players across age groups at different stages of the game.
The Team
Dr. Nirmala Kotnis
Operations – West India
Former International Badminton Player
11 National titles, Represented India in tournaments in China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and more. Commonwealth championship silver medallist in the team event. Nirmala has worked with some of the best academies. She is also a sports broadcaster and expert commentator for badminton and has been on the experts panel for the Rio Olympics.
Giridhara Gangolli
Operations
‘Giri’, as he is affectionately called, started with Padukone sports management right after getting an MBA in Marketing Finance. His primary responsibilities include coach management, marketing, and event management. His pure love for badminton drew him to the company, making it his first job and what drives him every day.
A thorough professional, he enjoys traveling, and his jovial personality is loved by all. He is famously known for belonging to the ‘first four’ crew of Padukone sports management.
Jithin Simha
Operations
A civil engineer by fate and sports management post-graduate by choice, Jithin began his journey with Padukone sports management in 2019. His passion for the game made his return to the sports industry, and meeting new people is what drives him daily.
He’s the one-man-army looking after operations, event management, and everything else at our biggest center across India, the Padukone-Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence. Outside of work, Jithin can be found trekking or traveling across India.
Pramila Prakash
Administration
A highly regarded person in the Bangalore badminton fraternity, she worked with the KBA for five years. Every parent’s point of contact across the city helps create seamless communication with students and their parents.
Pramila can converse in 8 languages; Malayalam, Tamil, English, Hindi, Kannada, Telugu, Marathi, and Coorgi. Her passion for badminton is unparalleled in our team, which makes her the beloved ‘Prameela Ma’am’ for one and all. On an off day, you may find her immersed in a good book with a cup of tea on the side.
Aravind Raj
Manager, Finance, and accounts
Aravind manages accounts and finance. He always has a passion for learning new things. When not in of office you can find him cruising in his car and having chicken.
Vignesh Srikantaswamy
Operations Executive
An avid long-distance runner, Vignesh joined PSM in 2022. Vignesh brings in his experience from organizing Motorsport events across India.
He is also known for his broad smile and enthusiasm for sports.
Vasanth Manoharan
Operations Executive
A Table Tennis Player at the university level, Vasanth joined PSM in 2022. He takes care of social media and operations for PSM.
He has an enormous passion for sports, riding, and agriculture.
Arun Kumar
Operations Manager
A sports enthusiast, Former state level cricket player and Post Graduate in Sports Management. Worked in sports industries for several years with prominent companies. My Specialties in Sports Management include: Operations, Event Management, Project Management, Risk Management, Sponsorship and Sports Presentation.
Our Management Team
Sriharsha Bade
General Manager- Padukone sports management
With over 10 years of experience in Management Consulting, Program Management & Marketing, Sriharsha Bade is a high-energy, result-driven analytical professional.
Dr. Nirmala Kotnis
Former International Badminton Player
11 National titles, Represented India in tournaments in China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and more. Commonwealth championship silver medallist in the team event. Nirmala has worked with some of the best academies.
Giridhara Gangolli
Operations
‘Giri’, as he is affectionately called, started with Padukone sports management right after getting an MBA in Marketing Finance.
Jithin
Operations
A civil engineer by fate and sports management post-graduate by choice, Jithin began his journey with Padukone sports management in 2019. His passion for the game made his return to the sports industry, and meeting new people is what drives him daily.
Aravind Raj
Manager, Finance, and accounts
Aravind manages accounts and finance. He always has a passion for learning new things. When not in of office you can find him cruising in his car and having chicken.
Vignesh Srikantaswamy
Operations Executive
An avid long-distance runner, Vigensh joined PSM in 2022. Vignesh brings in his experience from organizing Motorsport events across India.
He is also known for his broad smile and enthusiasm for sports.
Vasanth Manoharan
Operations Executive
A Table Tennis Player at the university level, Vasanth joined PSM in 2022. He takes care of social media and operations for PSM.
He has an enormous passion for sports, riding, and agriculture.
Arun Kumar
Operations Manager
A sports enthusiast, Former state level cricket player and Post Graduate in Sports Management. Worked in sports industries for several years with prominent companies.
Looking for a Thriving Career in the Field of Sports?
Join the core team at Padukone sports management to spread the love for sports across India
