Gopichand pitches for plain water

HYDERABAD: First he took the fizz out of the cola campaign by refusing to endorse soft drinks. Now, former All England champion Pullela Gopichand is taking the fight to the cola camp. His new mantra: ''Drink water, junk fizzy drinks''.
On Sunday, the badminton star donned the role of a teacher and tutored school children on the benefits of drinking plain water.Speaking at an interactive session ''Water for Health'', organised by the Jana Vignana Vedika, he said children must consume adequate quantities of water as it helps transport oxygen to blood and keeps the body fighting fit.
Referring to the fact that young people often prefer soft drinks to ''desi drinks'' like coconut water, lassi and fruit juices, the sport icon cautioned students against ''blindly aping the West''. Pitching for traditional drinks, he advised students to adopt an ''Indian lifestyle'' as it was a healthy option.