Foreign coaches get more pay but only work with elite: Akhil

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Akhil
Boxer Akhil Kumar selected for Asian Games 2014 during selection trials at SAI NSNIS in Patiala on Wednesday, August 27 2014. Express photo by Jasbir Malhi

New Delhi:The debate about the relevance of Indian coaches and the disparity in their pay when compared with foreign coaches resurfaced at the flag-off event for the Commonwealth Games-bound Indian contingent.
Boxer Akhil Kumar, the 2006 CWG gold medallist, said that Indians had a habit to automatically think that a foreigner was superior to Indian coaches.
“Indians have this habit to bow before foreigners. We think that someone is white, he or she must be good. But this is bad,” said Akhil.
“When they come to India, they only work with the elite sportsmen. If they are that good, they should be made to work at the grassroots or the junior programme,” he added.
“Mary Kom had won five World Championships gold medals before getting a foreigner as a coach. What does that tell you? I was already a national champion when BI Fernandez (former national coach from Cuba) came to train us in 2004,” he added.
Former shooter Moraad Ali Khan had a similar grouse. “I refused a coaching role with the shooting team. At least we have an Indian as a chief coach now. I hope that during my lifetime I get to see Indian coaches getting the same pay,” Khan said.
Khan added that the situation had changed a bit. “NRAI’s (national federation) junior programme is doing very well. Juniors are doing very well and it is down to the hard work of Jaspal Rana, Mansher Singh, Deepali Deshpande. Of course there are foreign coaches attached with the junior programme too but Indian coaches have been instrumental,” he said.

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