Ministry offers coaching jobs to Olympians current and former

New Delhi/London: Indian participants in the London Olympics can look forward to flourishing professionally whether they win a medal or not with the Sports Ministry deciding to offer them direct recruitment as coaches in the Sports Authority of India.

"Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, Shri Ajay Maken has announced that the Government has decided to offer all Olympians -- sportspersons who have qualified and represented the country in Olympics, present as well as in the past, direct recruitment as coaches, equivalent to Group `B` Officers, in the Sports Authority of India (SAI)," the Ministry said in a statement. Maken made this announcement at the Reception organised by the Indian High Commission at India House for the Indian Olympic Team in London yesterday. Maken hoped that this coupled with the recent decision to provide three out of turn promotions to sportspersons working in Government Organisations and Public Sector Undertakings would serve as "motivation for our contingent to perform well with the assurance of a life time job to bank upon." Elaborating further, the Minister said the coaches recruited will be provided on the job training even as they will continue with their sports training so long as they active sportspersons. "The NIS Patiala will provide them with a Diploma in sports coaching as a part of their training, before they start to take up coaching assignment. Direct recruitment as coaches would entail that they are not required to appear in any written examination or meet any educational or professional qualification etc," Maken said. Maken said their pay-scales would be equivalent to an Assistant Commissioner of Police and they would also get quick promotions based on their performance. "In India, there is so much of excitement and expectation from the Olympic contingent. For the first time, India is represented by 81-strong contingent. This is the biggest reason for such expectations. Last time the Indian contingent was 56-member strong," Maken said.