NEW DELHI: The Squash Rackets Federation of India (SRFI) is on the lookout for a coach to train the Indian team from October. The contract period will be two years till the end of the Asian Games in September 2022. An advertisement has been posted on the Sports Authority of India’s page as well as SRFI’s website.
The coach’s role will be based on events. It is mainly aimed at preparing athletes for the 2022 Commonwealth and Asian Games. “It is a full-time job but the coach need not be based in India. He will train the players during national camps while accompanying them for major tournaments. Hence the event-based role,” SRFI secretary Cyrus Poncha explained to this daily.
This might benefit the players, considering the Covid-19 pandemic and reluctance of foreign coaches to come to the country. The ideal candidate should have participated in continental championships. The job description says the SRFI is looking at hiring someone below 50 years of age. Also, the coach needs to have good knowledge of doubles.
“The federation has been discussing the possibility of hiring a top coach for some time. We thought now is a good time to look at this profile of coach as we are targetting the CWG and Asiad. We need to prepare for the long term,” Poncha added. The last date to send entries is July 22 and the candidate is also asked to mention his weekly professional fees.
Regarding training, worsening conditions in cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai means a return to competitive action might not be on the cards anytime soon. “Things are difficult now. Cases are rising all over, so not one major centre can be looked at. We need to wait for some sort of normalcy to return before we take a call.”