The Sports Ministry of Saturday announced the removal of the upper limit of salary of Rs 2 lakh on the training of elite athletes by Indian coaches, to encourage them to produce better results and motivate former players to become high-performance coaches. The ministry decided on Friday to extend the contract of all foreign coaches to September 30 next year, after which the announcement was made. Keeping pace with the Olympics, it has now been decided to select foreign and Indian coaches for four years.

Subsequently, Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju said in a statement issued, 'Many Indian coaches are producing very good results and they need to be rewarded for hard work. The government is keen to attract the best coaching talent from across the country. In order to train elite athletes, we do not want any limit on the upper salary of the coach to be any hindrance.' The ministry release said that to attract former veteran athletes into the sports system, increased remuneration and longer contract periods will be offered. The aim is to use their experience and their skills to train players who have qualified for major international competitions including the Olympics.

The same eminent coaches already working in various public sector undertakings (PSUs) will be allowed to join on deputation and be eligible for a four-year contract as well as a higher pay structure. According to the information of the Ministry, 'All new coaches and existing coaches who have been awarded the new contract will provide training in the National Camp and National Center of Excellence (NCOE) of Sports Authority of India (SAI), selected by the Ministry of Sports and National Sports Associations will be done jointly.' Meanwhile, Badminton national head coach Pullela Gopichand said, "It has been a demand of the sports fraternity for a long time. I am very happy with this decision because it will encourage many talented coaches and former veteran athletes to join this profession."

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