World championship is
Gopichand's goal

All-England badminton champion Pulella Gopichand will enter June's World championships in Spain without playing a tournament since his stunning All-England success in March.

However, the world number five said on Friday he would attend a four-week training camp in Bangalore, beginning next week, to get ready for the championships, which run from June 3-10 in Seville, Spain.

Gopichand, 27, who beat Olympic champion Ji Xenping of China and world number one Peter Gade of Denmark on his way to the All-England final, did not enter the Japan Open earlier this month.

He also missed out on valuable competition when the World Grand Prix finals in Brunei, scheduled for last month, were cancelled at the last minute.

"The World championship will be my main goal. I just need to prepare well."

"Four weeks in the camp is good enough time for me to prepare," he said.

Gopichand, who is the second Indian to win the All-England title after his former coach Prakash Padukone 21 years ago, got a hero's welcome when he returned from England, but he said he was not too worried by the growing expectations after his victory.

"There will definitely be pressure. But I have always put pressure on myself to perform. That pressure I am used to."

He also said he believes a foreign coach should be appointed to help train his country's developing players.

Gopichand, who overcame the power game of Chinese and European players by playing a touch game in Birmingham, said a foreign coach could work with local trainers to help players develop speed and power.

One of the problems India faces with developing young players, he said, is that few can afford to buy enough quality shuttles to develop their attacking skills.

"This drawback remains even after reaching a certain level."