Reports | Unsanctioned media interaction could cost SAI foreign coaches salary cut, deportation

According to TOI reports, this development took place in a recent communication that has been issued to all foreign coaches, experts, high-performance directors, foreign sparring partners, and foreign support personnel in SAI. Two new strange clauses were added to the already existing 24 clauses, a copy of which has been with TOI.

“In case the foreign coaches appointed with the NSFs choose to have interaction with the print/electronic media, it will be with the prior permission of the competent authority in the SAI. Any violation in this regard will result in the imposition of penalty in the form of salary cut and even termination of the contract in extraordinary cases, resulting in the deportation of the coach and his/her family members at his/her own cost,” it read.

Directed by the TEAMS division of SAI and approved by SAI Director General, it has been reported that SAI’s heavy expenditure in foreign coaches might have led them to think that they could make any amendments to their contracts whatsoever. Cutting of salaries and deportation, in extreme cases, have looked extreme measures and quite understandably didn’t go down well with the coaches.

“I have worked in so many countries as a coach, but never came across such a clause. We are no criminals who you will deport. I have not given my consent to the clause and will sit with the authorities to discuss it,” said a coach, reported TOI.

“Let’s say, during a tournament, after the conclusion of a bout or round, if the coach was approached to speak on his/her athlete’s performance, shall we first go to the competent authority for clearance or talk about our ward’s achievement?” another coach added. 

With the mentioned “the competent authority in the SAI” not yet clear as well, not many coaches have given consent to the agreement in their contract.