Children at the coaching camp in SIliguri. Picture by Kundan Yolmo

Siliguri, Nov. 20: A month-long badminton coaching camp is being organised here to choose the best players in Darjeeling district.

The camp being held at Ramakrishna Bayam Shiksha Sangha (RBSS) is part of a programme by West Bengal Badminton Association (WBBA), which is conducting such sessions in 10 districts, to promote and popularise the game in the state. Apart from Darjeeling, Malda and South Dinajpur are the other districts, which host the camps in north Bengal.

The Siliguri session is being organised in association with Darjeeling District Badminton Association (DDBA).

“After the completion of the camps in 10 districts, we will organise an advance coaching camp at the state-level. Those who perform well at the district-level will participate in that camp,” Sekhar Biswas, an official of the state badminton association, told The Telegraph over the phone from Calcutta.

Welcoming the initiative on the part of WBBA to promote the game, Swapan Bose, the secretary of DDBA, said his association had organised 71st Senior State Badminton Championship at the indoor stadium here in August. According to him, RBSS is the only club that has been organising its own coaching session for the past 30 years.

Eight children, who are below 14, are attending the camp in Siliguri and the coaching is being given by Priyaranjan Pal who had played for the railways.

“The badminton players, who don’t have opportunities to participate in tournaments where they can develop and display their skills, will benefit a lot from the camp,” said Pal.