When almost all top academies in India rejected Subhankar Dey, the Thane Badminton Academy opened doors for him. Dey moved to Thane to pursue his career in the sport and joined the Thane Badminton Academy under coach Shrikant Vad.

Vad was thrilled. "Dey is an extremely hardworking boy, who had the potential but never achieved results he deserved. He trained under me in his formative years — for five years.