New Delhi, Feb. 25 -- Noting that there is a "substantial gap in the ecosystem" for budding players who do not achieve desired success in sports, India's chief badminton coach Pullela Gopichand has urged players to be careful about their alternate options.

In an interview with ANI, Gopichand, a former All England Champion who commands a following not only for his sports achievements but also for his stance on various sports issues, said a very small percentage of sportspersons achieve celebrity status, and there is a need for opportunities such as skilling for those who make an exit.

"The thing is that out of the hundred people, maybe a per cent or less than a per cent are these numbers whom we are talking about, who gain celebrity stat...