From correspondents in West Bengal, India, 11:31 PM IST

Indian badminton authorities need to lay greater stress on players' fitness and be as focussed as their counterparts from China to carry the country forward in the discipline, former all-England champion Pullela Gopichand Saturday said.

Describing the country's badminton scene as 'very encouraging', Gopichand said in each age group and gender category India now had a player figuring among the world's top 20.

'The need now is to graduate to the next level. That will be possible through some fine-tuning and by focusing on fitness,' the ex shuttler said on the sidelines of a badminton clinic organised here by the east zone chapter of his academy.

However, he cautioned about the smooth-running Chinese system. 'We are competing with China. Their system is very focussed. They choose a potential pool of talents and then give them training through the year. We need to be equally focussed.'

Referring to the change in the game's profile in India, he said nowadays every year a big event happened in the country. 'Things are definitely looking bright.'

On the training structure the country should have, the Rajiv Khel Ratna and Dronacharya awardee said India should have a pyramid system. 'There must be a broad base. The game at the grassroot level should be extensively spread and developed,' he said.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)