SAI PROMISES BETTER DEAL FOR COACHES

NEW DELHI: Coaches employed with Sports Authority of India have been promised better deals. In its governing body meeting on Tuesday, SAI bosses agreed that home-spun coaches deserved better deals and salaries of coaches at national academies could go up till ~2 lakh each, depending on merit.

Poor pay scales have been an issue with SAI coaches. Compared to an average salary of $10,000 (approximately ~7.35 lakh) paid to foreign coaches, Indian coaches are badly paid.

All that is expected to change as SAI will initiate a Comprehensive Coach Development Programme to attract and retain the best coaches. SAI plans to take professional help and introduce incentives to spur better performance from trainers. SAI also wants to improve its relationship with corporates. While the SAI is willing to include corporate partners in its managing committee that looks after training and infrastructure, it wants companies to spend at least 2% of their nett profit on CSR activities.

SANIA, SHOAIB BLESSED WITH BABY BOY

NEW DELHI: Tennis star Sania Mirza and Pakistan all-rounder Shoaib Malik were blessed with their first child, a baby boy, on Tuesday. “Excited to announce: It’s a boy, and my girl is doing great and keeping strong as usual #Alhumdulilah. Thank you for the wishes and Duas, we are humbled #Babymirzamalik,” Malik wrote on Twitter. The couple have named the baby boy Izhaan.

GUJARAT WIN IN PKL

SONEPAT: Gujarat Fortunegiants continued their excellent form with another win in the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) against Puneri Paltan (37-26). Nitin Tomar finally achieved his 100th raid point in Season 6.

Sachin constantly created a nuisance for Puneri as he inflicted an ‘all out’ in the dying moments to get his Super 10.