Badminton may be one of the top sports that India excels in. But it is still far from a realistic financial option, particularly for coaches and other support workers. Arun Vishnu, one of the country’s top doubles trainers, has decided to step down for financial reasons. Arun, who has been coaching the senior women’s doubles duo of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand. They chose to withdraw since he could not support them.
His family financially with the money he made from badminton coaching. The decision to leave badminton coaching was made out of need rather than choice, as ensuring the family’s survival and meeting financial obligations became the priority. Arun, 36, of Calicut, plans to apply what he has learned at his new Vidarbha academy. Further diving into his goals and choice to leave top-level coaching.
Arun explained that travelling full-time was no longer an option for him, especially because he was going to become a parent for the second time. Arun further emphasised the significant disparity in remuneration between Indian and foreign coaches. According to PTI, popular international names get paid between $8000 and $10,000, which Arun confirmed. The number of local coaches has increased.
India’s Badminton System Exposed
But their exit rate is also high as they seek higher-paying alternatives, and the Badminton Association of India (BAI) is currently creating a strategy in collaboration with the Sports Authority of India (SAI) to stop the outflow. The primary objective of that united plan is a pay increase for coaches. Over the last three years, top names such as Parupalli Kashyap and RMV Gurusaidutt have shifted to full-time coaching.
Arun Vishnu said, “Arundhati’s dad is aging and was alone in Nagpur. Travelling full-time wasn’t possible. I have been thinking of moving since August. Indian coaches don’t get paid much, and my permitted leave for coaching at the national camp from the PSU was exhausted. I didn’t want to go to any other place (academy) other than Gopi sir, so I decided on starting an academy in Nagpur.”
