OUR HISTORY
OUR HISTORY
Padukone – Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence (CSE) is a fully integrated, first-of-its-kind sporting hub, spread across 16 acres, providing world-class, hassle-free infrastructure across 9 different sports including Badminton, Cricket, Football, Tennis, Swimming, Shooting, Squash, Basketball, and Volleyball for high-performance athletes, qualified coaches and recreational users.
Through its partnerships and collaborations, CSE aims to be a flag bearer by creating a community of sports lovers from all walks of life, thus revolutionising the sporting culture in India and creating a fitter and healthier nation.
Besides identifying and encouraging the country’s most promising sports talents, CSE also aims to support Paralympic athletes and create pro-bono opportunities for highly talented, deserving athletes in India.
Prakash Padukone
Co-Chairman
Prakash Padukone has been a sporting legend in every sense of the word. He was India’s first-ever simultaneous Junior and Senior National Badminton Champion at sixteen, the first Indian to win the prestigious All-England Badminton Championships in 1980 and became the first Indian to achieve the title ‘World No. 1’ in Badminton. In 1994, he set up India’s first Badminton Training Academy and continues to coach and mentor upcoming badminton talents in the country through the Infosys Foundation – Padukone Badminton Academy on the CSE campus.
Rahul Dravid
Co-Chairman
Rahul Dravid is widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket. During his career, he possessed an impenetrable defensive calibre in India’s batting lineup. Mr. Dravid is known as much for his technical skills, fortitude, and concentration on the field as for his humility and sportsmanship off it. He is the 5th Indian cricketer to be inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame. He is the former head coach of the Indian National Cricket Team, having led them to victory in the 2024 T20 World Cup. He also coached the IPL team Rajasthan Royals in 2025. A true legend, both on and off the field, he continues to inspire and mentor some of the world’s finest cricketers.
Vivek Kumar
Founder & Director
Vivek Kumar is the founder and promoter of Padukone – Dravid Centre of Sports Excellence (CSE) who is deeply committed to the idea of developing sports excellence in India. Vivek is a three-time Karnataka State Badminton champion. He also is the co-founder of the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy.
