The number of local coaches may have increased, but their exit rate in search of better paying opportunities is also quite high, and the Badminton Association of India (BAI) is currently preparing a road map in association with the Sports Authority of India (SAI). to stop the exodus.
The central point of this joint proposal is an increase in coaches’ remuneration. Over the last three years, big names such as Parupalli Kashyap and RMV Gurusaidutt have become full-time coaches, training the cream of men’s singles players such as HS Prannoy, Kidambi Srikanth and Priyanshu Rajawat.
Under the guidance of chief national coach Pullela Gopichand, they are also working with young talents like Tharun Mannepalli, Anmol Kharb, Anuradha Upadhyaya and Rakshitha Ramraj.
The former men’s doubles pair of Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy, who represented India in the Asian Games and Olympics, have focused on training young doubles players.
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The duo was seen with foreign coach Tan Kim Her during the doubles matches at the Indian Open.
But on the other hand, many renowned coaches have left the Indian system after years of hard work due to lack of financial rewards. Mohammed Siyadatullah Siddiqui, who has mentored stars like Saina Nehwal and Srikanth, joined the Oregon Badminton Academy in the United States last year.
World Championship bronze medalist and Tokyo Olympian B Sai Praneeth has retired from international badminton to take up a coaching role at an American club in March 2024.
Arun Vishnu, who developed stars like Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly, is the latest to leave as he returns to Nagpur to take care of his aging father-in-law.
“I think we need to improve the salary of Indian coaches, otherwise they will not stay for long,” Arun said. PTI.
“It’s fine if we hire foreign coaches for $8,000-$10,000, but the problem is that Indian coaches may not be paid at least a quarter. So that’s the problem. BAI secretary Sanjay Mishra acknowledged the problem and said plans had been made to address it.
Pullela Gopichand, Chief National Badminton Coach of India, speaking to Sportstar, during the 77th Yonex Sunrise Interzonal Championship and 86th Senior National Badminton Championship. | Photo credit: MURALI KUMAR K/ The Hindu
Pullela Gopichand, Chief National Badminton Coach of India, speaking to Sportstar, during the 77th Yonex Sunrise Interzonal Championship and 86th Senior National Badminton Championship. | Photo credit: MURALI KUMAR K/ The Hindu
“Salary of support staff, including physiotherapists and coaches, has been increased by 50-75% from their existing position and they have been receiving the revised salary for the last four months. Now BAI is considering proposing to increase the salaries of national camp coaches,” he said.
Arun said that while American coaches earn between $8,000 and $10,000 per month, Indian coaches employed by the PSUs receive around Rs 50,000 per month for their services in badminton, and this also started about a year and a half before the Paris Olympic Games.
“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’s a lot of pride in that. But if they go to the United States or another country, they will definitely get a good salary, or if you open an academy, you will have better prospects,” he said.
Mishra said, “Currently, coaches get a stipend, but according to a new proposal we are working on, eight coaches from the national camp will be placed under the foreign coaches recruited from different centers, with a substantial salary hike. This will also include former players and we will look to integrate them into the camp. The BAI also conducted the first ever development program for coaches across the country in March last year to standardize grassroots coaching.
But the question remains as to why the current coaches, who have played at the highest level and are grooming emerging talents in their respective academies, are not being integrated into the national setup.
India has a pool of experienced former players like Anup Sridhar, Arvind Bhat, Chetan Anand and Jwala Gutta, but none are part of the coaching system, with most setting up their own academy.
Sridhar, who briefly coached Lakshya Sen and PV Sindhu, is set to take over as head coach of the Singapore Badminton Association men’s singles.
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“We have many experienced players who probably don’t need additional guidance in training elite players. Take for example Anup, he joins Singapore, and (Hans-Kristian Solberg) Vittinghus takes over as men’s singles coach in Denmark,” Kashyap said.
“A coach’s job is not only to teach technique but also to plan the entire schedule of the players, guide them in dealing with injuries etc. and who better than someone who has been there and did that Very few Indian names have reached the top of the world rankings. It’s time we trusted our own.
“Had our retired players been given proper designation, remuneration and opportunities, it would have brought a change in Indian badminton. How long will we continue to hire foreign coaches? BAI recently hired Malaysian Tan Kim Her as doubles coach for Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, and Indonesian Irwansyah Adi Pratama to focus on women’s singles players, particularly Sindhu.
