Twitter
Advertisement

Citing lack of funds, SAI keeps coaches waiting

It's been more than two years since we watched our athletes do the country proud at the 2012 London Olympics. Understandably, the men and women who trained our six medallists — wrestlers Sushil Kumar and Yogeshwar Dutt, shooters Gagan Narang and Vijay Kumar, shuttler Saina Nehwal and boxer MC Mary Kom — were promised cash awards. However, due to "shortage of funds", none has been rewarded yet. Ditto with the coaches who guided the medallists at the Commonwealth Games (Glasgow) and Asian Games (Incheon) last year. No wonder the coaches are feeling neglected.

Latest News
article-main
FacebookTwitterWhatsappLinkedin

It's been more than two years since we watched our athletes do the country proud at the 2012 London Olympics. Understandably, the men and women who trained our six medallists — wrestlers Sushil Kumar and Yogeshwar Dutt, shooters Gagan Narang and Vijay Kumar, shuttler Saina Nehwal and boxer MC Mary Kom — were promised cash awards. However, due to "shortage of funds", none has been rewarded yet. Ditto with the coaches who guided the medallists at the Commonwealth Games (Glasgow) and Asian Games (Incheon) last year. No wonder the coaches are feeling neglected.

Sports ministry officials maintain they are helpless. Even the Centre has set aside only Rs 5 crore for cash awards. A huge percentage of that fund has already been exhausted.

"We were told that the sports ministry has no funds. The coaches have also been running from pillar to post to get their money but, so far, nothing seems to be working in our favour," said a coach who trained a London Olympics medallist.

The last time these coaches were rewarded was in 2011 when then-sports minister Ajay Maken distributed Rs 5.63 crore among 132 coaches for their good work at the Commonwealth Games (New Delhi) and Asian Games (Guangzhou) in 2010.

According to the rules, 50 per cent of an athlete's prize money goes to the coach. "The ministry has another rule which says that if a coach has spent 240 days in the national camp, then he/she will be rewarded with 50 per cent of the cash prize," said a badminton coach on condition of anonymity.

Even Nehwal's former coach, P Gopichand, who trains all top Indian shuttlers, has not received his reward of Rs 10 lakh. According to ministry insiders, there is no way that these awards can be distributed in the near future as the Sports Authority of India is virtually headless with the departure of director-general Jiji Thomson. Thomson has moved to his home state, Kerala, as chief secretary. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) seems to be in no hurry to name his successor.

Meanwhile, the wait just got a tad longer for the coaches.

Find your daily dose of news & explainers in your WhatsApp. Stay updated, Stay informed-  Follow DNA on WhatsApp.
Advertisement

Live tv

Advertisement
Advertisement