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SAI coaches get peon’s pay
After the euphoria of India’s record Commonwealth Games medal haul and in the middle of the scams worth crores being investigated, here’s a sobering thought. Sports Authority of India pays coaches contracted to train the next generation of the country’s athletes the same as its peons. Saurabh Duggal reports. Paid peanuts
After the euphoria of India’s record Commonwealth Games medal haul and in the middle of the scams worth crores being investigated, here’s a sobering thought.
Sports Authority of India (SAI) pays coaches contracted to train the next generation of the country’s athletes the same as its peons.
A majority of SAI peons are paid R15,000. The coaches are paid R15,660.
There’s more. Each of the 250 security guards at SAI’s head office and stadia in Delhi gets R13,217. And the security supervisor is paid R19,589 a month.
These coaches are have earned their coaching badges from the Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports and some have represented India.
“It’s sad that these coaches on contract get a little more than peons but are expected to develop champions,” said a senior, Delhi-based SAI coach, requesting anonymity because he is not authorised to speak to the media.
A coach on SAI’s rolls as permanent employee gets a starting salary of R30-35,000.
SAI secretary Gopala Krishna said: “Most of the security guards we have hired are ex-servicemen and they have already put in number of years in service. The coaches we have hired are fresh. So keeping that in mind, the salaries have been fixed.”
