Badminton star PV Sindhu has found herself in a controversy over the land allotted to her to build up a sports academy in Visakhapatnam. 

According to reports from Deccan Chronicle the local people have started protesting against the government’s decision to allot this specific land for the academy. The local people are demanding this land to be used for a junior college that they have been seeking for years.

The two-acre land in question is located in the Thotagaruvu area of Visakhapatnam. The land was initially given to PV Sindhu in June 2021 by the previous YSRC government. The land was designated for a badminton academy and sports school, aiming to bolster youth engagement in sports. 

However, local residents argue that the site should be prioritized for educational development rather than sports facilities.

Protests erupted on Tuesday, with community members standing firm in their stance that the plot should host a junior college instead. 

Ommi Sanyasi Rao, representing local people, remarked, “We are not against providing land to the player, but it could be allotted elsewhere so that this area near the existing high school can be used for the college.”

The land allocation for Sindhu’s academy came with specific conditions. According to the government order, the land granted could be used strictly for academic purposes, prohibiting any commercial activity. 

The transfer of the land to the sports and youth affairs department was subject to compliance with several requirements, including providing academy registration certificates and submitting three years of income tax returns.