Bhubaneswar, July 24: The first batch of badminton players from the recently inaugurated badminton academy at Saheed Nagar is set to take part in the state-level championships in a couple of weeks.

Twenty-nine under-15 badminton players are being trained at the academy, a joint collaboration between the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the state sports and youth services department.

A sport department official said 20 players of the academy were from Odisha, seven from Bengal, and two from Assam.

"The talented kids have undergone various training activities to improve their fitness and endurance. The skill of the players can only be improved by taking part in various tournaments. All the players are being trained for seven to eight hours in the morning and evening," said senior coach Manoj Sabat.

The academy, which was formally inaugurated on May 15, is yet to come up with boarding facilities for the players.

In the absence of boarding facilities, players from other states are currently staying at the sports hostel at Kalinga Stadium.

A sports department official said a hostel and gymnasium would be built at an estimated cost of Rs1.37 crore.

The official said SAI would provide all technical support such as coaches, physiotherapists and kits for the players while the state government would bear the expenses for accommodation, transportation and schooling facilities.

"Construction of the hostel and gymnasium has been expedited and the facilities will be ready by October. Besides, the department has also made a detailed plan to get the players of the academyadmitted at various schools of the city. The players will perform well at the state-level and national championships," Sabat said.

Players of the academy expressed happiness over their progress in the past two months.

"Earlier, we used to play without proper training facilities. But, the coaches at the academy have been helping us to improve our fitness and stamina. All the players of the academy have been selected on the basis of their performance. Regular practice has helped us to improve our game," said Tumi Bagchi, a player from Bengal.