Gopichand-led panel’s proposals on coaching revamp coming: Mandaviya
Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday said recommendations of the Pullela Gopichand-led Task Force on the revamping of India’s coaching ecosystem will be implemented in a phased manner with a national board for their accreditation and governance being among the initial steps. Responding to a question in the Rajya Sabha on the measures being undertaken to strengthen India’s coaching network, Mandaviya listed the recommendations from the Task Force.
“Implementation of the Task Force recommendations is in a phased manner. Initial steps such as establishment of NCAB (National Coach Accreditation Board) and finalisation of the unified curriculum are envisaged in the short term, followed by roll-out of licensing and tiered pathways,” Mandaviya said in the upper house but did not specify a time-line for it.
The nine-member Task Force led by Gopichand, who is also the national badminton coach, had described India’s coaching ecosystem as fragmented, inconsistent, and heavily reliant on individual effort rather than institutional strength. The 43-page report suggested several remedies to fix the system that seeks international excellence, but given that it was designed decades ago “cannot deliver the scale, quality, and speed required today.”
It has proposed a three-tier system overseen by the certification board and a Government-funded Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) for coaches similar to what is in operation for athletes. It has also sought the adoption of a practice-oriented training model, mandatory licensing and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for coaches, performance-based evaluation mechanisms, and strengthening of ethics, safety and inclusivity in coaching.
The NCAB is being proposed as an apex authority responsible for setting national standards for coach education and accreditation. It would also be mandated to approve and monitor coaching pathways, accredit coach education institutions, and design a unified core curriculum across sports. “The Task Force has recommended the implementation of a structured, tiered national coaching pathway covering Grassroots, Intermediate, Elite and National Team coaches,” the Minister said.
While advocating for a stringent entry criteria for intake of coaches at different levels, the panel also wants that former athletes should get some credit for their competitive experience at the time of certification.
