Dronacharya Award-winners from Punjab flay government for ignoring coaches

Karam Prakash

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Tribune News Service

Patiala, October 24

A day before the Punjab Chief Minister’s visit to Patiala to officially start the construction of the state’s first sports university, two Dronacharya Award-winning coaches from Punjab accused the government of ‘ignoring’ coaches.

Mohinder Singh Dhillon, who has mentored shot putter Tejinder Pal Toor to a gold medal in the Asian Games, said: “What is the use of setting up a sports university if there is no motivation for the sports coaches?”

Dhillon, decorated with the Dronacharya Award in 2019, said he is disheartened due to the apathy of the state government and at times wanted to quit coaching.

Another Dronacharya Award-winner from Punjab, SS Pannu, said the coaches had not been given cash awards even two years after the their trainees brought laurels to the country. Pannu has been the coach of triple jumper Arpinder Singh, who won gold in the 2018 Asian Games.

“We work extra hard, and are away from home. I am hurt that the state government has continuously been ignoring sports coaches.  The Central Government has already awarded us, but the state government has continuously been neglecting us,” Dhillon said.

Dhillon said that coaches not being given their due would have a negative impact on young coaches working at the grassroots level.

Pannu said: “What is the use of having a sports policy if the government cannot implement ?”

He said the coaches were supposed to get a cash award equivalent to 40 per cent of a player’s reward. “If you want results in sports, you have to walk the talk. You can’t win medals by merely making a policy. If you don’t want to implement it, abolish it,” Pannu added.

Harminder Pal Ghuman, a young athletics coach who has trained para-athlete Mohammed Yasser, said, “It is very unfortunate that coaches have not been given what they deserve. It is very demoralising to get ignored despite the medals in the Asian Games.”

DPS Kharbanda, Sports Director, Punjab, said, “We have already received a cash amount from the Finance Department. In the next one month, cash awards will be given to all the coaches.”