Badminton
Arun Vishnu, coach of Treesa-Gayatri, quits national set-up
After joining the national setup in 2016, Vishnu played a crucial role in the rise of Indian women's doubles pairings, notably Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand.
Coach Arun Vishnu (middle) with his wards Treesa Jolly (left) and Gayatri Gopuchand (right). (Photo credit: Instagaram)
Badminton coach Arun Vishnu has stepped down from the Indian national setup to establish his own academy in Nagpur in March and spend more time with his elderly father-in-law.
Vishnu played a crucial role in the rise of Indian women's doubles pairings, notably Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, and Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto.
Having served as a coach in the Indian national camp since 2016, Arun will now partner with his wife, former international player Arundhati Pantawane, to open the academy in Nagpur.
"I resigned from my position in December following the World Tour Finals. I have dedicated eight and a half years to the national setup as a coach, creating many cherished memories. Now, I am moving to Nagpur to establish an academy there in March," Arun was quoted as saying by PTI.
Under his guidance, Treesa and Gayatri achieved their maiden BWF World Tour title at the Syed Modi India International in December and subsequently qualified for the season-ending BWF World Tour Finals in December.
This marked only the second time an Indian women's doubles pair, after Ashwini Ponnappa and N. Sikki Reddy in 2021, competed in the World Tour Finals.
A former Indian player, Arun had been assisting chief national coach Pullela Gopichand since 2016, the year when he clinched the mixed doubles national title with Aparna Balan.
Initially focusing on junior players, he later assumed responsibility for managing the women's doubles pairings.
One of the most significant achievements of his proteges, Treesa and Gayatri, was their contribution to the Indian women's team's historic victory at the Badminton Asia Team Championships in February 2024. Currently ranked ninth in the world, Treesa and Gayatri possess the potential to ascend further.
"I firmly believe they have the potential to break into the top five," stated Arun.
Under his tutelage, Ashwini and Tanisha secured their place in the Paris Olympics last year.
Arun was an integral part of the Indian support staff that contributed to the silver medal at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games and played a vital role in the country's campaigns at the 2018 and 2022 Asian Games.
Recently, Manu Attri and B. Sumeeth Reddy joined the national setup as doubles coaches, assisting Tan Kim Her, the coach of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty.
