New Delhi: Badminton Association of India (BAI) is keen to prevent exodus of home-grown coaches and are currently in talks with the Sports Authority of India to offer them improved remuneration.
In the past few years, there has been a noticeable increase in number of home-grown coaches but paltry payment structure has made them seek opportunities abroad.
Once a mentor of Saina Nehwal and Srikanth, Mohammed Siyadatullah Siddiqui has shifted to America last year to work at the Oregon Badminton Academy.
Former World Championships bronze medallist B Sai Praneeth took up a coaching role at an American club in March of last year while Arun Vishnu returned to Nagpur for family commitments.
Coach of Lakshya Sen and PV Sindhu for a brief period of time Anup Sridhar has agreed to be the men’s singles head coach of Singapore.
“I think we need to improve the pay for Indian coaches, or they won’t stick around for long,” Arun told PTI.
“It is fine if we are hiring foreign coaches for 8,000-10,000 USD, but the problem is the Indian coaches are not paid even one-fourth, maybe. So that’s the issue.”
With many familiar names turning towards coaching after the end of their playing careers like Parupalli Kashyap and RMV Gurusaidutt and are training top names such as HS Prannoy, Kidambi Srikanth, and Priyanshu Rajawat, BAI is keen to address the pay package issue.
“None of the Indian coaches will be ready to help the national team. Why would they? Players want to give back to the sport; there is a lot of pride in that. But if they go to the U.S. or some other country, they are definitely going to get paid a good salary, or if you open an academy, you’ll have better prospects,” he said.
Revision of salaries on anvil for coaches
In the USA, coaches earn between $8,000-10,000 a month while Indian coaches employed by public sector undertakings receive about Rs 50,000 a month, which only started around 18 months before the Paris Olympics.
BAI secretary Sanjay Mishra said plans are already in place to offer better money to coaches.
“The salary of support staff, including physiotherapists and trainers, has been increased by 50-75% on their existing slab and they’ve been receiving the revised salary for the last four months. Now, BAI plans to propose increasing the salaries of the coaches in the national camp,” he said to PTI.
“Currently, the coaches receive an allowance, but according to a new proposal that we are working on, eight coaches from the national camp will be placed under the foreign coaches brought in at various centres, with a substantial salary increase.
“This will also include the former players and we will be looking to integrate them in the camp.”
In the past few years, there has been a noticeable increase in number of Indian badminton coaches but paltry payment structure has made them seek opportunities abroad. Badminton Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
