Second-best foreign coaches will not make us the best: Gopichand
Pullela Gopichand says a good mix of foreign and Indian coaches is important for the development of the system but strongly believes that "second best" overseas recruits will only produce the second-best players. Speaking at the virtual inauguration of the High-Performance Coach Education Program, the national badminton coach highlighted the role of coaches in Indian sports.
Important to have a healthy mix of foreign coaches: Gopichand
"Foreign coaches are very important for our development. It's important that we always have a healthy mix of foreign coaches," he said. "In sports, where we do not have expertise it's good sometimes to have full foreign support teams in the beginning, but if for successive teams, we are having only foreign coaches then we are not doing justice to our system," Gopichand said.
'There should be programs that turn players into coaches'
The Dronacharya Awardee feels there is a need for programs that turn former players into coaches. "We'll never be able to get the best foreign coaches, we will always get only the second best, and probably the heart of an Indian coach who's really wanting India to win will be definitely more than the coach who wants the next contract," he said.
More power should be given to coaches: Gopichand
"Sports, where we have consistently done well, and have produced players, it's important to make programs which change players into coaches," Gopichand said. India is an athlete-centric system and this needs to change according to Gopichand, who called for more power being given to coaches.
It's time for a coach-led model: Gopichand
"From the perspective of a coach, who is not recognized, who has to work under associations, under administrators and also sometimes under an athlete's pressure, because once the athlete becomes bigger than the coach, then everybody starts listening to the athlete," he said. "It's time we need to kind of reverse that model and make it a coach-led model," he added.
'Coaches should stop their tendency to hold onto players'
Gopichand also highlighted the tendency of coaches to hold onto players that have got them praise and recognition, a practice Gopichand believes must change. "Athletes start off somewhere, as a grassroots level player with a certain coach. After that, at each level, the coaches are recognized many times for the players they produce," he said.
Good coach will last 30 to 40 years: Gopichand
"Coaches should be encouraged to pass on players to the next level, that transfer is something which is important," he said. "One good player might last for eight to 10 years. But one good coach will last us for 30 to 40 years," he reasoned.
India lacks professional approach in coaching: Rijiju
Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju said Indian athletes have a mindset that they require foreign coaches to win medals. The Minister called for a change from the "makeshift" coaching system being followed in the country. "In India, we have no such professional approach in terms of coaching. So far things have been done is a makeshift arrangement looking for immediate upcoming sporting events," he said.
