Lok Sabha Question No. 234 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-02
Subject: Coaches and Athletes in SAI Centres
Ministry: YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS
Asked by: Shri Pushpendra Saroj, Adv Priya Saroj

## Government of India Ministry Of Youth Affairs & Sports Department of Sports

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 234 TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.02.2026

Coaches and Athletes in SAI Centres

234.  SHRI PUSHPENDRA SAROJ: ADV PRIYA SAROJ:

Will the Minister of YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of number of coaches currently appointed under the Sports Authority of India (SAI) across all its centres in the country, State/UT-wise;
- (b) the details of number of vacancies of coaches presently existing under SAI along with the number of coaches expected to retire in the next two to three years, State/UT-wise;
- (c) the details of number of athletes enrolled in all the SAI centres in the country, year and State/UT-wise particularly district-wise in Uttar Pradesh; and
- (d)  the details of the plans and measures being undertaken by the Government to increase the number of qualified coaches and athletes to ensure adequate coaching support across various disciplines and training centres in the country?

## THE MINISTER OF YOUTH AFFAIRS & SPORTS

## ANSWER [DR. MANSUKH MANDAVIYA]

- (a)  As  of  date,  there  are  a  total  of  788  coaches,  comprising  387 regular  coaches  and  401  coaches  on  contract  or  deputation.  The details are provided at Annexure - I.

- (b) The details of number of vacancies of coaches presently existing under the Sports Authority of India (SAI) are provided at Annexure II.

Further,  the  Coaching  Cadre  is  based  on  all  India  transfer  posting basis.  However,  as  per  present  deployment,  the  details  of  the coaches going to retire in next 3 years are provided at Annexure - III.

- (c) The details of number of athletes enrolled in all the SAI Centres in the  country  is  provided  at  Annexure-IV.  The  details  of  number  of athletes in the State of Uttar Pradesh district wise are provided at Annexure-V.
- (d) 'Sports' being a State subject, promotion of sports in a State/UT is the responsibility of the respective State/UT  Governments. However, to support the efforts of  State  Governments,  Ministry  of Youth Affairs & Sports is implementing the following Sports Promotional  Schemes  across  the  country  through  SAI  to  identify talented sportspersons in the various age groups and nurture them to excel at national and international levels:
-  National Centres of Excellence (NCOEs)
-  SAI Training Centers (STCs)
-  Extension Centre of STC
-  National Sports Talent Contest (NSTC) (its Sub-Schemes -  Akharas, IGMA)

These athletes are provided financial support in the form of expert coaches, sports equipment, scientific support, boarding and lodging, sports  kit,  competition  exposure,  educational  expenses,  medical/ insurance and stipend as per the approved scheme norms.

These  measures  are  intended  to  increase  the  participation  of athletes across various sports disciplines.

Apart from above, in Coaching Cadre, SAI has a sanctioned strength of 1,524 posts, out of which 788 are presently in position. Further, 323  posts  in  the  grade  of  Assistant  Coach  have  been  notified  for recruitment through the Direct Recruitment mode.

*****

## ANNEXURE-I

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (A) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  234  FOR  02.02.2026  ASKED  BY SHRI PUSHPENDRA SAROJ AND  ADV PRIYA SAROJ REGARDING 'COACHES AND ATHLETES IN SAI CENTRES'.

| No. of Coaches State Wise as on date   | No. of Coaches State Wise as on date   |
|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
| Name of State/UT                       | No. of Coaches                         |
| Andaman & Nicobar                      | 10                                     |
| Andhra Pradesh                         | 11                                     |
| Arunachal Pradesh                      | 13                                     |
| Assam                                  | 38                                     |
| Bihar                                  | 3                                      |
| Chhattisgarh                           | 6                                      |
| Daman and Diu                          | 0                                      |
| Delhi                                  | 91                                     |
| Goa                                    | 4                                      |
| Gujarat                                | 25                                     |
| Haryana                                | 80                                     |
| Himachal                               | 20                                     |
| Jammu & Kashmir                        | 7                                      |
| Jharkhand                              | 10                                     |
| Karnataka                              | 55                                     |
| Kerala                                 | 49                                     |
| Ladakh                                 | 3                                      |
| Lakshadweep                            | 2                                      |
| Madhya Pradesh                         | 42                                     |
| Maharashtra                            | 42                                     |
| Manipur                                | 38                                     |
| Meghalaya                              | 10                                     |
| Mizoram                                | 7                                      |
| Nagaland                               | 3                                      |
| Odisha                                 | 17                                     |
| Puducherry                             | 8                                      |
| Punjab                                 | 56                                     |
| Rajasthan                              | 11                                     |
| Shillong                               | 1                                      |

| Sikkim        |   4 |
|---------------|-----|
| Tamilnadu     |  14 |
| Telangana     |  11 |
| Tripura       |   3 |
| Uttar Pradesh |  48 |
| Uttarakhand   |   5 |
| West Bengal   |  41 |
| Grand Total   | 788 |

## ANNEXURE-II

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (B) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  234  FOR  02.02.2026  ASKED  BY SHRI PUSHPENDRA SAROJ AND  ADV PRIYA SAROJ REGARDING 'COACHES AND ATHLETES IN SAI CENTRES'.

| Details of Number of Vacancies in Coaching Cadre   | Details of Number of Vacancies in Coaching Cadre   | Details of Number of Vacancies in Coaching Cadre   | Details of Number of Vacancies in Coaching Cadre   | Details of Number of Vacancies in Coaching Cadre   |
|----------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------|
| S.N.                                               | Grade                                              | Sanctioned Strength                                | In Position                                        | Vacancy Position*                                  |
| 1                                                  | HPC                                                | 50                                                 | 8                                                  | 42                                                 |
| 2                                                  | Chief Coach                                        | 100                                                | 52                                                 | 48                                                 |
| 3                                                  | Senior Coach                                       | 200                                                | 115                                                | 85                                                 |
| 4                                                  | Coach                                              | 400                                                | 306                                                | 94                                                 |
| 5                                                  | Assistant Coach                                    | 774                                                | 307                                                | 467                                                |
| 6                                                  | Total                                              | 1524                                               | 788                                                | 736                                                |

*323 posts in the grade of Assistant Coach have been notified for recruitment through the Direct Recruitment mode.

## ANNEXURE-III

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (B) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  234  FOR  02.02.2026  ASKED  BY SHRI PUSHPENDRA SAROJ AND  ADV PRIYA SAROJ REGARDING 'COACHES AND ATHLETES IN SAI CENTRES'.

| State-wise Details of Coaches Retiring in the Next Three Years   | State-wise Details of Coaches Retiring in the Next Three Years   |
|------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Name of State/UT                                                 | No. of Coaches                                                   |
| Andhra Pradesh                                                   | 2                                                                |
| Assam                                                            | 2                                                                |
| Chhattisgarh                                                     | 1                                                                |
| Delhi                                                            | 6                                                                |
| Goa                                                              | 1                                                                |
| Haryana                                                          | 1                                                                |
| Jammu & Kashmir                                                  | 1                                                                |
| Jharkhand                                                        | 4                                                                |
| Karnataka                                                        | 1                                                                |
| Kerala                                                           | 2                                                                |
| Madhya Pradesh                                                   | 4                                                                |
| Maharashtra                                                      | 1                                                                |
| Manipur                                                          | 2                                                                |
| Mizoram                                                          | 1                                                                |
| Punjab                                                           | 7                                                                |
| Rajasthan                                                        | 2                                                                |
| Tamil Nadu                                                       | 2                                                                |
| Telangana                                                        | 1                                                                |
| Uttar Pradesh                                                    | 2                                                                |
| West Bengal                                                      | 8                                                                |
| Grand Total                                                      | 51                                                               |

## ANNEXURE-IV

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (C) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  234  FOR  02.02.2026  ASKED  BY SHRI PUSHPENDRA SAROJ AND  ADV PRIYA SAROJ REGARDING 'COACHES AND ATHLETES IN SAI CENTRES'.

## NUMBER OF SAI CENTERS AND STRENGTH OF ATHLETES 2025-2026 NATIONAL CENTRES OF EXCELLENCE (NCOEs)

| SN    | Region/ Centre Name            | Total Athlete   |
|-------|--------------------------------|-----------------|
| 1     | Arunachal Pradesh              |                 |
| (i)   | Itanagar                       | 254             |
| 2     | Assam                          |                 |
| (i)   | Guwahati                       | 179             |
| 3     | Delhi (UT)                     |                 |
| (i)   | I.G. Stadium                   | 180             |
| (ii)  | MDCN Stadium                   | 64              |
| (iii) | Dr. SPM Swimming Pool Complex  | 20              |
| (iv)  | Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range | 111             |
| 4     | Gujarat                        |                 |
| (i)   | Gandhinagar                    | 276             |
| (ii)  | Naranpura                      | 82              |
| 5     | Kerala                         |                 |
| (i)   | Alleppey                       | 122             |
| (ii)  | Trivandrum                     | 227             |
| 6     | Haryana                        |                 |
| (i)   | Rohtak                         | 165             |
| (ii)  | Sonepat                        | 303             |
| 7     | Himachal Pradesh               |                 |
| (i)   | Dharamshala                    | 54              |
| (ii)  | Hamirpur                       | 126             |
| 8     | Karnataka                      |                 |
| (i)   | Bangalore                      | 222             |
| 9     | Madhya Pradesh                 |                 |
| (i)   | Bhopal                         | 291             |
| 10    | Maharashtra                    |                 |
| (i)   | Kandivali                      | 86              |

| SN   | Region/ Centre Name   | Total Athlete   |
|------|-----------------------|-----------------|
| (ii) | Aurangabad            | 215             |
| 11   | Manipur               |                 |
| (i)  | Imphal                | 219             |
| 12   | Odisha                |                 |
| (i)  | Jagatpur              | 104             |
| 13   | Punjab                |                 |
| (i)  | Patiala               | 226             |
| 14   | Uttar Pradesh         |                 |
| (i)  | Lucknow               | 209             |
| 15   | West Bengal           |                 |
| (i)  | Kolkata               | 196             |
| (ii) | Cooch Behar           | 0               |

SAI TRAINING CENTERS (STC) SCHEME

| SN    | Region/ State/ Centre Name   | Total Athlete   |
|-------|------------------------------|-----------------|
| 1     | Andaman & Nicobar Islands    |                 |
| (i)   | Port Blair                   | 100             |
| (ii)  | Car Nicobar                  | 87              |
| 2     | Andhra Pradesh               |                 |
| (i)   | Eluru                        | 49              |
| (ii)  | Kurnool                      | 40              |
| (iii) | Visakhapatnam                | 85              |
| 3     | Arunachal Pradesh            |                 |
| (i)   | Naharlagun                   | 105             |
| 4     | Assam                        |                 |
| (i)   | Golaghat                     | 61              |
| (ii)  | Tinsukia                     | 52              |
| (iii) | Kokrajhar                    | 210             |
| (iv)  | Solalgoan                    | 102             |
| 5     | Bihar                        |                 |
| (i)   | Patna                        | 30              |
| 6     | Chhattisgarh                 |                 |
| (i)   | Raipur                       | 58              |
| (ii)  | Rajnandgaon                  | 80              |
| 7     | Delhi (UT)                   |                 |
| (i)   | Bawana                       | 44              |
| 8     | Goa                          |                 |
| (i)   | Ponda                        | 27              |

| (ii)   | Peddem               | 40   |
|--------|----------------------|------|
| 9      | Haryana              |      |
| (i)    | Bhiwani              | 74   |
| (ii)   | Hisar                | 229  |
| (iii)  | Kurukshetra          | 66   |
| 10     | Himachal Pradesh     |      |
| (i)    | Bilaspur             | 62   |
| 11     | Jammu & Kashmir (UT) |      |
| (i)    | Jammu                | 86   |
| 12     | Jharkhand            |      |
| (i)    | Hazaribagh           | 81   |
| (ii)   | Ranchi               | 95   |
| 13     | Karnataka            |      |
| (i)    | Dharwad              | 52   |
| (ii)   | Madikeri             | 50   |
| (iii)  | Bangalore            | 56   |
| 14     | Kerala               |      |
| (i)    | Trichur              | 47   |
| (ii)   | Kollam               | 101  |
| (iii)  | Calicut              | 39   |
| (iv)   | Tellicherry          | 92   |
| 15     | Ladakh (UT)          |      |
| (ii)   | Kargil               | 40   |
| 16     | Lakshadweep (UT)     |      |
| (i)    | Androth              | 94   |
| 17     | Madhya Pradesh       |      |
| (i)    | Dhar                 | 75   |
| (ii)   | Jabalpur             | 65   |
| (iii)  | Tikamgarh            | 22   |
| 18     | Manipur              |      |
| (i)    | Imphal               | 129  |
| (ii)   | Utlou                | 94   |
| 19     | Meghalaya            |      |
| (i)    | Shillong             | 149  |
| 20     | Mizoram              |      |
| (i)    | Aizwal               | 139  |
| 21     | Nagaland             |      |
| (i)    | Dimapur              | 62   |
| 22     | Odisha               |      |
| (i)    | Cuttack              | 41   |

| (ii)   | Sundergarh      | 65   |
|--------|-----------------|------|
| 23     | Puducherry (UT) |      |
| (i)    | Puducherry      | 77   |
| (ii)   | Yanam           | 33   |
| 24     | Punjab          |      |
| (i)    | Mustuana Sahib  | 35   |
| (ii)   | Badal           | 65   |
| (iii)  | Ludhiana        | 55   |
| 25     | Rajasthan       |      |
| (i)    | Alwar           | 36   |
| (ii)   | Jaipur          | 33   |
| (iii)  | Jodhpur         | 41   |
| 26     | Sikkim          |      |
| (i)    | Namchi          | 73   |
| 27     | Tamil Nadu      |      |
| (i)    | Chennai         | 66   |
| (ii)   | Salem           | 37   |
| (iii)  | Mayiladuthurai  | 108  |
| 28     | Telangana       |      |
| (i)    | Hyderabad       | 125  |
| 29     | Tripura         |      |
| (i)    | Agartala        | 53   |
| 30     | Uttar Pradesh   |      |
| (i)    | Raibareily      | 32   |
| (ii)   | Safai Etawah    | 42   |
| (iii)  | Bareilly        | 62   |
| (iv)   | Varanasi        | 104  |
| 31     | Uttrakhand      |      |
| (i)    | Kashipur        | 85   |
| 32     | West Bengal     |      |
| (i)    | Lebong          | 12   |
| (ii)   | Bolpur          | 28   |
| (iii)  | Jalpaiguri      | 99   |

## EXTENSION CENTRE OF STC

| SN       | Name of the Schools /Colleges / Others                 | Total Athlete                             |
|----------|--------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|
| 1        | Assam                                                  |                                           |
| (i) (ii) | Dibrugarh Judo Association, 09 Table Tennis Academy at | Dibrugarh Jorhat 19                       |
| (iii)    | Dakha Devi Rasiwasia 06                                | College, Chabua                           |
| 2        | Jammu &                                                |                                           |
| (i)      | Kashmir Water Sports, Nehru Park,                      | Dal Lake, 18                              |
| 3        | Madhya Pradesh                                         |                                           |
|          | (i) Ext. Govt.                                         | Centre Khandwa MP Hr. Sec. School, Indore |
| (ii)     | 35 26                                                  |                                           |
| 4        | Boys Odisha Hindustan                                  |                                           |
| (i)      | Aeronautic                                             | Limited (HAL), 25                         |
| 5        | Rajasthan                                              |                                           |
| (i)      | University of Rajasthan, College, Ajmer                | Jaipur 20                                 |
| (ii)     | Mayo 35                                                |                                           |
| 6        | Uttar Pradesh                                          |                                           |
| (i)      | Gurukul Archery Academy, Tikri, Meerut                 | 0                                         |

## INDIGENOUS GAMES AND MARTIAL ARTS SCHOOLS (IGMA)

| SN    | Name of the Schools                       | Total                                        |
|-------|-------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
| 1     |                                           |                                              |
| (i)   | of Assam 0                                | Assam Martial Authority Tengapara, Kokrajhar |
| 2 (i) | Jharkhand Swami Shardhanand DAV Centenary | Public 0                                     |
| 3 (i) | Maharashtra Dharamaveer Sambhaji Hr. 0    | Sec. School,                                 |
| 4 (i) | Manipur The Sofia English                 | School,Wangmataba, Thoubal 25                |
| (ii)  | Panthoibi Jagoi Sindam                    | Academy, Shanglen                            |
| 5 (i) | Punjab International Fateh Academy, 20    | 20 Jandiala, Guru,                           |
| 6 (i) | Kerala Vyasa Vidya Peetham Palakkad       | Kallekkad (PO) 20                            |
| 7 (i) | Tamilnadu Kandha                          | 20                                           |
|       | Sri Vivekananda Vidyalayam, Podikara,     |                                              |
| (ii)  | Govt. Girls Higher Sec. School, Thanjavur | 20                                           |

## ADOPTED AKHARAS

| SN   | Name of the Schools & Colleges                 | Total Athlete   |
|------|------------------------------------------------|-----------------|
|      | Maharashtra                                    |                 |
| 1    | Govt. Wrestling Centre, Kohlapur               | 30              |
| 2    | Gulsachi Talim Akhara, Pune                    | 30              |
| 3    | Har Har Mahadev, Maroti Nagar, Dhule           | 30              |
| 4    | Jai Shiv Ray Education Society, Kolhapur       | 30              |
| 5    | Jog Maharaj Vyayamshala, Pune.                 | 30              |
| 6    | Kishanveer Akhara, Bhuij, Satara               | 30              |
| 7    | Krida Vikas Vyayammandal, Sangli               | 30              |
| 8    | MN Deshmukh Arts Science College, Ahemadnagar  | 30              |
| 9    | Kolhapur Zilla RashtriyaTalim Kendra, Kohlapur | 29              |

| SN   | Name of the Schools & Colleges                          | Total Athlete   |
|------|---------------------------------------------------------|-----------------|
| 10   | N. L. Balkwade Vyamshala, 102 Tilakpath, Nasik          | 30              |
| 11   | Rangnath Markad Krida & Yuvak Mandal, Pune              | 30              |
| 12   | Veer Hanuman Kala Krida, Sangli                         | 30              |
| 13   | Vishwatmak Jangli Maharaj Wrestling Centre, Ahamadnagar | 30              |
| 14   | Mamasaheb Mohol Kusti Akhara, Katraj, Pune              | 0               |
|      | TOTAL:                                                  | 389             |
|      | Rajasthan                                               |                 |
| 15   | Luv Kush Akhara, Bhilwara                               | 27              |
|      | Haryana                                                 |                 |
| 16   | Lala Diwanchand Modern Wrestling Centre, Jhajjar        | 24              |
| 17   | Ch. Bharat Singh Memorial Sports School, Nidani         | 26              |
| 18   | Capt. Ram Karan Vyayamshala, Sec-37, Rohtak             | 23              |
| 19   | Shaheed Bhagat Singh Akhara, Mirchpur                   | 17              |
| 20   | Vikas Phelwan Vyayamshala, Jalebi Road, Rohtak          | 0               |
|      | Total                                                   | 90              |
|      | Delhi                                                   |                 |
| 21   | Chandroop Akhara, Azadpur, New Delhi                    | 19              |
| 22   | Chandgi Ram Vyamshala, Civil Line, Delhi                | 22              |
| 23   | Guru Dron Mann Academy, Village Bakoli, Delhi           | 14              |
| 24   | Guru Hanuman Akhara, Shakti Nagar, Delhi                | 27              |
| 25   | Maharishi Dayanand Akhara, Najafgarh, New Delhi         | 23              |
| 26   | Sonkar Vyayamshala, Gurmandi, Delhi                     | 15              |
| 27   | Swami Bhumanand Kushti Acad., Narela, Delhi             | 11              |
|      | TOTAL:                                                  | 131             |
|      | Punjab                                                  |                 |
| 28   | Baba Sheikh Farid Kusti Akhara, Faridkot                | 25              |
| 29   | Padam Shree Kartar Singh Akhara, Amritsar               | 25              |
|      | TOTAL:                                                  | 50              |
|      | Madhya Pradesh                                          |                 |
| 30   | Shri Achyutanand Guru Vyayamshala, Ujjain               | 20              |
| 31   | Shri Binda Guru Akhara, Indore                          | 20              |
| 32   | Deshwali Samaj Akhara, Ujjain                           | 20              |
|      | TOTAL:                                                  | 60              |
|      | Uttar Pradesh                                           |                 |
| 33   | Guru Gaya Seth, Varansi                                 | 0               |
| 34   | Choudhary Mahaveer Singh, Loni Ghaziabad                | 30              |

| SN   | Name of the Schools & Colleges                    | Total Athlete   |
|------|---------------------------------------------------|-----------------|
| 35   | Meghu Pehalwan Vyayamshala, Varanasi              | 0               |
| 36   | Satayanarayan Singh Khel Vikas Sansthan, Mirzapur | 0               |
| 37   | Bachan Singh, Muzaffarnagar                       | 30              |
| 38   | Arya Vyayamshala, Chhaproli, Baghpat              | 29              |
| 39   | Rastriya College, Shahpur, Muzaffarnagar          | 27              |
|      | TOTAL:                                            | 116             |
|      | Assam                                             |                 |
| 40   | Langhin Tinali Sports Asso., Langhin, Anglong     | 14              |

## ANNEXURE-V

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (C) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  234  FOR  02.02.2026  ASKED  BY SHRI PUSHPENDRA SAROJ AND  ADV PRIYA SAROJ REGARDING ''COACHES AND ATHLETES IN SAI CENTRES'.

## DETAILS  OF  SAI  SCHEMES  IN  THE  STATE  OF UTTAR  PRADESH DURING THE YEARS 2025-26

| SN                                    | Name of the Scheme(s)                    | Total Athlete                         |
|---------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
| National Centre of Excellence (NCOEs) | National Centre of Excellence (NCOEs)    | National Centre of Excellence (NCOEs) |
| 1                                     | Lucknow                                  | 209                                   |
| SAI Training Centers                  | SAI Training Centers                     |                                       |
| 1                                     | Raibareily                               | 32                                    |
| 2                                     | Safai Etawah                             | 42                                    |
| 3                                     | Bareilly                                 | 62                                    |
| 4                                     | Varanasi                                 | 104                                   |
| Adopted Akharas in Uttar Pradesh      | Adopted Akharas in Uttar Pradesh         | Adopted Akharas in Uttar Pradesh      |
| 1                                     | Arya Vyayamshala, Chhaproli, Baghpat     | 29                                    |
| 2                                     | Bachan Singh, Muzaffarnagar              | 30                                    |
| 3                                     | Choudhary Mahaveer Singh, Loni Ghaziabad | 30                                    |
| 4                                     | Rastriya College, Shahpur, Muzaffarnagar | 27                                    |
|                                       | Total                                    | 565                                   |

*****