New Delhi, India's top-ranked women's doubles badminton star Shikha Gautam feels that finding a balance of education and sports is important for any athlete.

Speaking on a webinar for The Sports School, Gautam said that education is what will help an athlete after their retirement.

"Education plays a major role. As an athlete I can say that after retirement, education will help me in a second career after sports. Badminton we can play till 30 or 35 years of age maximum," she said.

"Education is what helps us choose a second career if we are going in another direction. It could be anything, I am in sports so I can go for a career in sports management or sports analyst. It's just that this knowledge is very important for any athlete."

Cricketer Kaunain Abbas, who was also part of the webinar, said that sports schools are required in the country so as to stop the trend of students dropping out from sports training during a crucial year in their school years.

"Lot of people drop out of sport because it is their 10th standard or 12th standard. Once they drop out for a year it is very difficult to come back. That is where the balance of education (is needed).

"So a sports school is very important and otherwise, students need to be smart with how they balance their sports and education," said Abbas, who has played for Karnataka in the Ranji Trophy.