For every successful athlete, there’s a coach who transformed his career, and made him a champion. In a robust sports ecosystem, quality coaching is as important as unearthing talent. From decision-making to the thought process, coaches directly influence the players in more aspects than one can imagine. Cricket has become a cultural identity for India because we are successful in this sport.

If Tendulkar is retiring, then there’s a Kohli, and now Jaiswal and Gill look ready to take over the reins. And this is down to quality of coaching which keeps producing talent. Other sports needs to do some catching up in making the system more streamlined for coaches and athletes.

Thankfully, the Government of India has put emphasis upon building a stronger coaching infrastructure through various initiatives through the National Coaching Scheme (NCS). The NCS is operated under the aegis of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and is a proven vehicle for development and implementation of various initiatives aimed at coaching and talent development in the country.

Let’s highlights what the National Coaching Scheme is all about and how different programs can impact sports ecosystem in India.

Also read: How to maintain a balanced diet as an athlete?

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The National Coaching Scheme

Started in the 1980s, the National Coaching Scheme is a flagship program to recruit, train, and deploy qualified coaches across India. The program is administered through Sports Authority of India and provides a structured way of professional development for coaches.

Its primary objective is to contribute to developing a world-class sporting ecosystem at the grassroots, through talent identification and athlete preparation for global competitions. Coaches through NCS are deployed in various sports programs at the grassroot level and directly influence India’s talent pool.

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How National Coaching Scheme Affect India’s Sports Ecosystem

1. Khelo India Program

India’s flagship sports program at the grassroot level. Khelo India was launched in 2018 to to develop and nurture sports talent.

The trained coaches under the NCS work in the Khelo India Programs. So these coaches have a direct impact on the life of an athlete. If the coach lacks in critical thinking or let’s day, isn’t updated with the modern training drills, chances are, he will be producing average athletes.

2. SAI Training Centers (STCs)

Sports Authority of India (SAI) is an apex sports body under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India. It’s objective is to promote sports and achieving sporting excellence at the National and International level.

Just like Khelo India, the NCS assigns its coaches at SAI Training Centres which are spread across the country. These coaches play a critical role in mentoring and developing athletes at the international and national levels.

3. Special Area Games (SAG) Scheme

These scheme promotes sports in tribal, rural and remote areas. Coaches hired under NCS then visit SAG centres to scout, identify and nurture talent in traditional and indigenous sports. Such initiatives play a critical role in India’s sports ecosystem and it’s success depend on coaches’ ability to identify talent and mold them into world beaters.

4. National Centres of Excellence (NCOEs)

These are top-notch centers of elite training which prepares athletes for Olympic and international events. Coaches at these top-level centres are often former players but NCS does play its role in providing performance-based training using modern technology, analytics, and sports science methods to trainers.

5. Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS)

Although TOPS primarily caters to senior and elite athletes, it still has the NCS coaches playing a vital role. NCS coaches works with sports scientists, physiotherapist or nutritionist in achieving optimal performance for athletes.

6. Rural Sports Program

This is the program under which NCS cooperates with state governments to introduce sports in rural areas. Under this scheme, NCS coaches identify talents from rural and economically weaker sections and provide them a pathway in India’s sports ecosystem.

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Positive Impact of the National Coaching Scheme

Here we highlighting the impact of National Coaching Scheme on India’s sports ecosystem:

1. Improved Medal Performances: Although India performed poorly at the 2024 Olympics, India’s overall performance as a nation at the marquee international events like the Olympics, Commonwealth Games, and Asian Games has improved significantly if we compare it with the period before 2000. This is down to NCS initiative.
2. Empowering Women in Sports: Initiatives under the NCS are also focusing on empowering female athletes. Now we are seeing more and more female athletes like PV Sindhu and Mary Kom representing India at the global level.
3. Helping In Regional Development: Schemes like the SAG and Rural Sports Program are helping in identifying the talent from remote areas, as coaches are sent specifically to far corners of India for scouting purposes.
4. Modern Training Methods: With the help of modern training methods and equipment, NCS coaches are also helping aspiring athletes achieve their peak performance levels.

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Challenges Faced by National Coaching Scheme

Despite the success, the NCS faces several challenges within India’s sports ecosystem.

• Quality of Coaches: The supply of skilled coaches, especially in non-mainstream sports such as football, continues to fall short than demand.
• Uneven Resource Distribution: There’s no regulations on distributing funds equally across regions. Metro cities benefit more from NCS initiatives than the remote areas, creating imbalances in access to coaching and facilities.
• Low Pay: Money is a driving force for everybody. Coaches at the grassroot level are paid low salaries which may result in half-hearted approach towards athlete development from the coaches. A better pay can keep the coaches motivated.
• Use of Technology: While elite centers use advanced tools, grassroots-level coaching still relies on traditional methods, leaving athletes from those regions less prepared.

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Conclusion

The National Coaching Scheme is indeed a great program to improve the coaching standard in India. It helps in laying a strong foundation for sports persons looking to become a coach. But, as mentioned above, this program is not without faults. Most of India’s population reside in 2nd tier cities and villages and there’s definitely a dearth of quality coaches in those regions. Also, du to lack of a robust scouting system, a lot of talent is going unnoticed. Wheat India need is a sound coaching infrastructure, complemented by a good scouting network to make India a global sporting giant.

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