Hyderabad, Nov. 9: The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to return to badminton coach Pullela Gopichand the 2.5 acres it had gifted and then taken back from him two years ago following a controversy.

Gopichand received the good news yesterday, hours before he left for the Guangzhou Asiad along with his star pupil Saina Nehwal and other Indian shuttlers.

The 2.5 acres were part of a 5-acre plot at Gachibowli, Hyderabad, that Chandrababu Naidu’s Telugu Desam government had awarded Gopichand so that he could set up a badminton academy.

The coach (and former badminton star), however, triggered a political storm by revealing plans to build a full-fledged sports complex besides the badminton academy, complete with a swimming pool, running tracks and a tennis court.

In September 2008, the Congress government of Y.S. Rajashekhar Reddy took back half the land, saying Gopichand would only be allowed to build the badminton academy, for which the remaining 2.5 acres was enough. The coach challenged the government move in Andhra Pradesh High Court, which ordered status quo.

Court cases and controversies relating to land allotments for sports personalities is nothing new in India. Recently, an NGO challenged the legality of the Bengal government’s award of a plot in Salt Lake to Sourav Ganguly to allow him to set up a school. In September, the Supreme Court issued notices in the case to three senior Bengal officials.

Rosaiah, however, has decided to take a lenient view on Gopichand’s case, keeping in mind the recent international successes of his pupils. Yesterday, the principal secretary of the sports and youth welfare department, A.K. Parida, issued a memo conveying the state’s willingness to cancel the earlier order.

Rosaiah, anyway, has been known to be much more willing to reward sports personalities compared with his predecessor. His government recently awarded huge cash prizes to all the 13 Commonwealth Games medal-winners from Andhra, including Saina, Sania Mirza and shooter Gagan Narang.