YAI to foot foreign coaches’ salaries after sports ministry snub
CHENNAI: It looks like Yachting Association of India (YAI) officials can’t catch a break. After spending days in the Delhi High Court because of selection-related problems ahead of the Asiad they are now trying to collect close to `18 lakhs to pay their foreign coaches who were instrumental in Indian sailors winning medals. According to YAI officials, the federation had got Sports Ministry approval to hire foreign coaches Alexandr Denisiuc, Francesca Clapcich and Jonas Warrer for the Asian Games during the Annual Calendar for Training and Competition (ACTC) meeting for Yachting on May 17.
The minutes of the meeting, under the chairmanship of Secretary Sports Rahul Bhatnagar, was recorded by YAI officials. The YAI is claiming that the ministry had agreed to bear all expenses of the coaches then. However, they claim that the ministry is not agreeing to pay them. YAI is expecting an official letter anytime now. The ministry apparently told them that it had paid for their boarding and lodging and their airfares during the Games and the coaches’ fees needed to be cleared by YAI. The YAI is ready to pay the three coaches around `18 lakh but they are hoping that the ministry reconsiders its stance. Jonas Warrer, who coached the 49er category athletes Varun Thakkar and KC Ganapathy to bronze, was supposed to be given 8400 Euros.
Francesca Clapcich, who first trained the pair of Ekta Yadav and Shaila Charls from July 17 to August 3, before coaching Varsha Gautham and Sweta Shervegar — their replacements in the 49erFX event — was promised 9900 Euros. Alexandr Denisiuc, who took care of the Open Laser 4.7, where Harshita Tomar won another bronze was offered 5525 Euros. “During the ACTC meeting, the ministry had agreed to pay for all the coaches. Now they are telling us that they had agreed to pay only the air-fare and accommodation during the Games. We are in a fix now and don’t know what to do,” a top YAI official told Express. The YAI had requested to hire the new coaches after former chief national coach Ian Warren tendered his resignation on June 13.
During the ACTC meeting, Jyrki Jarvi for 49er Class was one of the proposed names along with Alexandr Denisiuc. Jonas Warrer was suggested because Jyrki had already entered into contract with another team. With the Games ending two weeks ago, the YAI is facing embarrassment as some of the coaches have asked them to pay the dues. “We have no other way but to pay them as fast as possible,” the official said. However, ministry officials were unavailable for a comment on the same.
vimal.sankar@newindianexpress.com