Govt to spend Rs 20 crore on foreign coaches for London 2012

New Delhi: The Union Government will be spending to the tune of Rs 20 crore for roping in the services

of 28 foreign support staff in various disciplines keeping an eye on next year`s London Olympics. According to detailed report prepared by the Ministry of Sports, the amount spent on coach`s salary will be around 7.7 percent (approx) of the total expenditure of Rs 258.9 crores planned for the next 400 days upto the quadrennial extravaganza. Special emphasis has been given on athletics with specialists being employed in middle-distance, sprints, high-jump, walking along with recovery experts and masseuse. Among the notable foreign coaches are gymnastics coach Vladimir Chertkov who will be paid the USD 6875 per month (3.06 lakh per month). After US coach Chertkov, there are a few coaches in the USD 6000 (Rs 2.67 lakh per month) bracket. They are Nikolai Snasarev (middle-distance coach), athletics recovery expert Andrei Filimonau, shooting coaches (Rifles) Stanislas Lapidus and (pistols) Alexander Malentiev. Sprint coach Iurii Ogorodinik will be paid USD 5400 per month (Rs 2.41 lakh) while the other sprint coach Dmytro Vanyaikin will be drawing USD 4200 (Rs 1.87 lakh) per month. Two other athetics coaches Alexander Artsybashev and Anatoli Varda will be receiving USD 4000 (Rs 1.78 lakh) and USD 4500 (Rs 2 lakh) respectively. Ukrainian high-jump coach Levgen Nikitin will be getting USD 4500 (Rs 2 lakh) per month while masseuse Elena Buldova will be paid USD 2000 (Rs 89,000). For the Judokas, Sergeiy Saveliev from Belarus will be paid USD 3000 (Rs 1.33 lakh). The National Rifle Association of India`s proposal to have Fedorchenko Anatoily of Russia as the Gun Smith for shooting at a salary of USD 2000 (Rs 89,000) was also approved. PTI