The Sports Ministry on Thursday extended the contracts of all foreign coaches till September 30 next year and said that future hiring will be done on a four-year cycle in sync with the Olympic Games to ensure continuity.
The four-year contracts to be given to new coaches will, however, be on the basis of recommendation from the respective National Sports Federations. The extension for current bunch of hired coaches has been done keeping in mind the postponement of the Olympics to next year due to the COVID19 pandemic.
The contracts will be reviewed annually and extended on the basis of their overall performance, indicated by the achievement of the athletes under them in major international events. “Coaches are the backbone of the sporting ecosystem of any country and ensuring the right coaching for our elite athletes is a vital step towards improving India’s chances in all major international tournaments, including the Olympics,” Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju said in a statement.