PATIALA: The system of producing coaches in various sports disciplines at the National Institute of Sports here and its centers in the country is in for some drastic changes, it has been learnt from informed sources.

The number of coaches churned out by the institute during the past nearly 28 years is nearing the 9000 mark. No doubt the figure is very attractive as far as statistical value is concerned, yet it has no proportion whatsoever with the sportspersons of international repute produced by India, experts have lamented.

According to an estimate only about 2000 of these coaches are currently on roll of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and ‘other related agencies while the rest are rotting Up at various low level administration jobs all over India, To quote an instance, a diploma holder is working at the NIS itself against a clerical post.

Under the present system the sportspersons having varying educational qualifications from matriculation to graduation depending upon their achievement to the Sports field are admitted to the diploma Course of 10 months duration in 19 disciplines at four centers of the NIS. These are Patiala, Gandhinagar, Bangalore and Calcutta, So far the different centres of the institute have awarded diplomas to 8367 coaches and the latest batch of over 500 coaches is passing out later this month, Over 300 foreigners have also got diplomas in various disciplines from the NIS during these yea:

Most of theme was from Bangladesh, Nepal and Nigeria.

It has been learnt that the system of conduct of the course came under fire at the meeting of the academic advisory committee of the SAI under the Chairmanship of Mr. K.P. Singh Deo, a former Minister at its meeting here sometime back.

According to sources, the committee was critical of the different basic education qualification criteria set for admission to the diploma course. According to this criteria a graduate with participation in national championships, a matriculate with international participation or a gold medal winner in the senior national championships, masters in physical education or bachelor in physical education or diploma in physical education are all eligible for admission to the regular course, The meeting reportedly expressed surprise over the equation of a matriculate with M.P.ED or B.P. Ed in the matter of selection. The meeting lamented that so far the NIS has laid more stress on quantity and not cared for quality of coaches.

No doubt, the NIS holds refresher courses, for the in service coaches regularly, it has not thought of keeping in touch with the 7000 odd qualified diploma holders, who are engaged in jobs other than coaching and are in process of unlearning. [tis not known if the NIS has even got any knowledge of their whereabouts. Sometime back the NIS had launched a project to make a directory of its diploma holders.

Article extracted from this publication >>  May 12, 1989