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Thakur: Bring Ex-Athletes Back as Coaches to Boost Indian Sports

Former Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur has called for a systematic effort to reintegrate former athletes into India's sporting ecosystem as coaches and mentors, stating the country is wasting a valuable resource. He emphasized the need for a data-driven approach to identify and nurture talent from an early stage. Thakur also urged state governments to increase their budgets and infrastructure for sports, highlighting it as a state subject. The remarks were made at the Golden Jubilee National Convention of the Sports Journalists Federation of India.

Key Points: Anurag Thakur Calls for Ex-Athletes to Become Coaches

  • Former athletes should be coaches
  • Data-driven talent tracking needed
  • States must boost sports budgets
  • Policy must have measurable outcomes
  • SJFI marks Golden Jubilee
3 min read

Former athletes should return as coaches to strengthen Indian sports, says Anurag Thakur

Former Sports Minister Anurag Thakur urges system to bring former athletes back as coaches and mentors, advocates data-driven talent tracking.

"Many players who got jobs through sports are now working in offices, while many of them could be involved with the game again as coaches or mentors. - Anurag Thakur"

New Delhi, March 14

Former Union Sports Minister and Member of Parliament Anurag Singh Thakur said there should be efforts made to ensure former athletes are brought back into the Indian sporting ecosystem as coaches and mentors, adding that the country is wasting a valuable resource by leaving experienced ex-players in administrative office roles.

Thakur made the call while addressing sports journalists on day two of the Golden Jubilee National Convention of the Sports Journalists Federation of India (SJFI) at the Constitution Club of India - an event hosted by the Delhi Sports Journalist Association (DSJA).

"Many players who got jobs through sports are now working in offices, while many of them could be involved with the game again as coaches or mentors. They may contribute far more to sports in those roles," he said.

Thakur also pressed for a data-driven approach to athlete development that would allow talent to be identified and nurtured from the earliest stages of a sporting career. "We need to analyse data and create a proper tracking system for the entire journey of an athlete so that talent can be identified early and groomed with the right support," he said.

Thakur also called on the state governments to shoulder greater responsibility for building the infrastructure and human resources that India's sporting ambitions require. "Sports is largely a state subject, and states must increase their budgets, build infrastructure, and hire more coaches if we want better results in the future," he said.

On institutional accountability, Thakur insisted that policy recommendations must translate into measurable outcomes. "Institutions are very important. We must evaluate what has been achieved after recommendations are made and assess whether our systems are actually producing results," he said.

DSJA president Abhishek Tripathi underlined the significance of the occasion for the federation and the broader sports journalism community. "It is a proud moment as the SJFI celebrates its Golden Jubilee. We are delighted to welcome sports journalists from across the country to Delhi and grateful to Anurag Thakur ji for interacting with the fraternity," he said.

Several figures from the sports and corporate world were felicitated during the day's proceedings - like Shivalika Chadha Malik of Hero MotoCorp, Manva Sudarshan Hunswadkar of KRAFTON India, and Udita Dutta, founder and CEO of Artsmith, in recognition of their contributions to the sporting ecosystem.

On the field, the JK Bose Inter-Zonal T20 Cricket Trophy saw North Zone and South Zone record convincing victories at Roshanara Cricket Club and the Delhi Police Ground, respectively.

In the AC Bali Table Tennis Tournament, DSJA-1 and the Sports Journalists Association of Mumbai (SJAM-1) advanced to Monday's final, where DSJA-1's trio of Kushan Sarkar, Bharat Sharma, and Norris Pritam will face SJAM-1's Amol Karhadkar, Ashwin Ferro, and Akush Dhavre.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

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Sarah B
The data-driven approach is crucial. Look at how other sporting nations use analytics. But the real challenge is at the state level. Unless states like UP, Bihar, MP invest in grassroots infrastructure, talent will remain untapped. Thakur is right to push that responsibility onto them.
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Priya S
Good point, but will the sports federations allow this? There's so much politics and bureaucracy. A former athlete coming in as a coach might face resistance from the existing "babu" culture. The system needs a complete overhaul, not just suggestions.
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Rohit P
Absolutely! Just look at cricket. Dravid's contribution as a coach is immense. Imagine if we had Olympic medalists coaching in athletics, boxing, wrestling. Their experience is priceless. Hope this moves beyond talk and into policy.
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Anjali F
While I appreciate the sentiment, we must also ensure these former athletes are *trained* as coaches. Being a great player doesn't automatically make you a great teacher. They need proper pedagogical training. The focus should be on creating a structured certification pathway for them.
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Karthik V
This is the need of the hour. For too long, our sports administration has been about desk jobs. We need that practical, on-ground expertise. Also, good to see corporate contributions being recognized. Public-private partnership is key for funding these initiatives. 🇮🇳

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