Sports Ministry pushes for top coaches, support staff

Aiming to make India a sporting super power, the Sports Ministry on Monday pushed for the appointment of the world's best coaches and support staff for the country's athletes, besides an upgrade of infrastructure.

The all stakeholders meeting was held here to review the preparations for the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games — both scheduled next year — and the 2020 Olympic Games.

Sports Minister Vijay Goel chaired the meeting that included members of Indian Olympic Association, Sports Authority of India, Olympic Task Force and Top Scheme Committee, among other.

"Goel stressed that the federations should bring best coaches and support staff to provide training to the athletes. Goel said that we should upgrade the sports infrastructure, spot talent at a very young age, monitor performance,

promote school and university level games in a big way, utilise stadiums to their full potential and involve best available coaching academies in training of the sportspersons," the Sports Ministry said in a press release.

Also attending the day-long brainstorming session were representatives from Laxmibai National Institute of Physical Education, 'High Priority' and 'Priority' sports disciplines and the national observers.

Goel said that the government has taken a number of steps to strengthen the various kinds of support given to the athletes and the sportspersons.

"The major steps include enhancement of the amount of financial assistance under the scheme of assistance to the National Sports Federations.

"He said that while a lot has been done to broad base the sports activities in the country a lot is still needed to be done to achieve excellence and make India a sporting powerhouse of the world." Goel said that the IOA should "take the lead in various spheres like dispute resolution in the NSFs, holding of National Games regularly, holding of multi-disciplinary mega events in India etc."